East of Thebes

East-of-Thebes-3-WEB
Originally uploaded by coljen.

Jo had got a copy of this limited edition game at Essen. I really don't know much about the game and couldn't find an entry on the Geek. Produced by an independent publisher they had forgotten to put in the wooden bits so we had raid a couple of Richard's games for the appropriate bits. Basically the game is about digging for ancient artifacts, you have five areas to dig in, Egypt, Palistine, Macedonia, Greece and Crete. You travel around the world gaining knowledge and equipment (spades, assistants, airships, horses and such) to help you in your execavations. The game is card driven with the four spaces on the board for the cards which are replenished as the players take them. The turn mechanism is quite nifty, each action, travel, digging or the cards you take have a cost in weeks. You move your dobber round the track the appropriate number and the player in last place then takes his turn. Every now and then an exhibition card turns up which is placed round the board a number of weeks in advance of the last players position. If you have the the appropriate artifacts and are in the correct city on the right week you can exhibit (ie you count your artifact cards and add the roll of a die) if have the greater number you take the exhibition card which is worth points at the end of the game.
The game lasts 2 circuits of the board, 2 years, and at the end the players score in a number of ways, very Knizia. The players with the most knowledge in each of the areas scores 4 points, kongress cards score for how many you have collected (1=1, 2=3, 3=6 and so on) exhibition cards, and finally artifact cards. Also the player with the highest score in his weakest area gets 5 points.
I quite enjoyed this game and I hope Jo gets his wooden dobbers soon.

Final Scores
Jo 55, Richard 49, Steve 47, Colin 46