For tips on how to play polis, see Tips_polis

Game play

Development Actions

Create Hoplites

• Only in one polis per turn.
• Pay 1 metal (or silver) per hoplite.

Create Galleys

• Only in one polis per turn.
• Pay 1 wood (or silver) per galley.
• Place galleys in an adjacent sea territory (see arrow).

Create Merchants

• Only in one commercial city per turn
• Pay 1 wood (or silver) per merchant.
• Place merchants in Trade Port.

Military Actions (cost 1 Prestige)

Move Hoplites

• Destination territory of all hoplites has to be the same.
• Each unit is moved separately (via land or sea territories, but not both).
• Territories controlled by opponent (with greater number of units) block movement.

Move Galleys

• Destination territory of all galleys must be the same.
• Each unit is moved separately (only sea territories).
• Territories controlled by opponent block movement.

Besiege Polis

• Player has to control territory with at least as many hoplites as polis has Fortification.
• Throw the die:
  • If the result is higher than/equal to Fortification:
    1. Take Polis Tile (with all projects).
    2. Receive Prestige (= Fortification).
  • If the result is lower than Fortification:
    • Attacker loses 1 hoplite.
    • If polis is owned by opponent, it loses 1 Population Cube.

Collection

• Must own polis in region.
• Take resources corresponding to the number of hoplites from the region placed in the Tribute Box.
• Place disc to show the region exhausted and return hoplites. No Prestige cost for action in home region.

Political Actions

Trade

• Move one merchant via free trade route to a Foreign Market and place it on available shipload:
  • Goods exchange (goods for wheat / silver).
  • Then increase market value.
    1. Roll die.
    2. Move the marker right.
  • Purchase (silver paid for wheat).
  • Then decrease market value.
    1. Roll die twice.
    2. Use the higher result to move the marker left.

Move Proxenos

• Movement via land or sea territories.
• Must bribe each enemy unit with 1 silver (not to the opponent).

Redeem Proxenos

• Pay 2 silver to opponent.
• Place Proxenos in capital.

Instigate Civil War

• Proxenos needed;
• Action costs 2x Base Population (neutral polis) or 3x current Population (owned by opponent).
• Receive Prestige (= Population bribed, not amount of money spent).

Battle

• If 8 or more units are in a territory after player's turn:
  • Attacker plays 2 cards, defender tries to match formations.
• Card pairs are then compared:
  • Not matching:
    • Defender loses 1 unit,
    • Attacker gains Prestige on card.
  • Matching:
    • No loss for defender
    • Attacker gains Prestige difference if their value is higher.
    • Attacker draws 2 cards;
    • Defender draws one less card for each loss suffered (maximum 2).
• The battle ends if:
  1. There are not enough cards are left in the Combat Card deck.
  2. One player retreats (and pays 1 Prestige to opponent).
  3. One player has less than 2 units left.

End of the Round

Projects

• All projects are completed, and award immediate Prestige.

Supply

• Player must pay wheat = total of Population Cubes.
  • If insufficient, the difference is either paid with Prestige, or poleis are discarded.

Growth

• Increase Population in poleis with wheat (1:1). Optional.
  • Heed Maximum Growth and Population Maximum.

Megalopolis

• 1 Prestige is awarded for every polis exceeding the Base Population.

Storage

• Halve amount of oil, wine, and wheat in storage (rounded up).
  • For example:
    • Before: 3 oil, 5 wine and 7 wheat.
    • After: 2 oil, 3 wine and 4 wheat.

Phoros

• Exchange Prestige for silver (1:1). Optional.

Preparations for the next Round

1. Move round marker one space to the right.
2. Remove all discs from Tribute Boxes.
3. Place merchants back in Trade Ports.
4. Place 3 new Project Tiles (discard remaining tiles).
5. Draw new Event Card.

End of Game Conditions

1. A player cannot supply enough wheat/Prestige to feed their capital.
2. A player does not have any Prestige left after “End of Round” phase.
3. The fourth round (5β) has been finished.

Final Score

• Total of Population Cubes in all poleis, plus
• Current Prestige, plus
• ”Prestige for Posterity” (on project tiles).

Summary sheet

See Tips_polis.