The ancient world is changing…
King Croesus of Lydia has minted the world’s first coin from the legendary gold and silver of the river Pactolus, soon to become the dominant form of exchange throughout civilization…
Lions of Lydia is the highly anticipated bag-management and engine-building game from Jonny Pac Cantin and Bellwether Games that will find you hiring merchants to barter and help develop your wealth and property holdings.
As fortune would have it we’ve been lucky enough to experience the game in advance of its Kickstarter Campaign and want to share this with you…
How it’s Played…
You take three steps in order:
1. Draw a Merchant
Take a Meeple from your Bag
2. Play a Merchant
Place it at one of the four city gates, or at the fountain and take the actions & rewards of that space
3. Add a Merchant
Take a Meeple from one of the Gates returning your bag to four Merchants.
Merchant at the Gate
Take resources according to the colour of the Gate and all the Merchants present there
Merchant at the Fountain
Spend resources to buy Property from any one side of the board, and/or pay for cards again to Develop them
Prestige Awaits…
Build your Engine…
Cards can earn you bonus resources when you visit Gates including Prestige points for the end of the game. (Developed cards always earn you double)
Gain Influence…
When you reach six of any resource you may Develop a card for free or advance your Influence
You must gain Influence to unlock your Lydian Merchant and increase your card limit. (Advancing your Influence can also gain you Prestige points, bonus coins, and a special ability.)
Become Rich…
When Lydian Merchants join the game, the Lydian Lion coin will enter circulation.
A Lydian Merchant placed at one of the Gates will let you trade resources for Coins. Coins are wild and are needed to purchase the most important Property cards.
The first player to Develop a certain number of Property cards gains a bonus.
After all other players have had a final turn, the game ends and points are calculated to determine a winner.
It’s no secret that Jonny Pac Cantin has had a stellar 2019 with the success and acclaim of Coloma, Fistful of Meeples and Merchants Cove for Final Frontier studios.
This time around however our favourite Euro Gaming Cowboy has taken a step away from Americana and Fantasy to apply his magic toward Ancient Civilization with The Lions of Lydia; the hotly anticipated bag manager and engine-builder from Bellwether Games.
Since it hit BGG a few months back, Lions of Lydia has been a title on a lot of wishlists; gamers and reviewers alike were eager to know more about how it plays and frankly, we’ve been sworn to secrecy until the campaigns launch…
Well now the meeples out of the bag; how does it stack up compared to the immensely popular back catalog fans are now accustomed to?
We’re happy to report this is another triumph: a fast, fun Euro with totally fresh gameplay that just like it’s engine-building DNA will certainly rack up the awards.
The game offers an instant table presence due to the rich and exotic artwork of Darryl T. Jones. Each card delivering intricate detail and flavour, but instantly recognizable with a clean layout and strong iconography which lends itself to the swift nature of the game.
With that in mind, while pitched at 30-60 minutes playtime, our sessions averaged under the 30 minute mark which reflects the fast pace of the game.
The learning curve is also very shallow making it an ideal gateway into Euro Gaming and even with new players to the table we played well under the expected time with some very nice engines building up.
At this stage you can tell it’s a solid seal of approval from us on all points – even playing with a prototype. From the fluidity of the mechanics & clarity of the rule book, to the production value of components and artwork, it’s such a well polished game that is another feather in the cap for JP and a great addition for Bellwethers lineup.
We understand that some exclusive components are heading to the Kickstarter Edition, including a wooden fountain as a spectacular focal point to that gorgeous central board, which will be set alongside actual metal coins in the deluxe version.
From the coin sample we received it’s certainly worth the extra pledge for that additional tactile feel that symbolizes the very nature of the game and brings even more story to the table.
Coming to Kickstarter in March 2020 – Lions of Lydia is everything we hoped it would be and with these KSE items, it’s now even more.
