How To Play: Lords of Hellas – Setup, rule summary and strategy

Delve into the ancient strategy game, Lords of Hellas, with ease. This guide sets you on a path to rule Hellas by expertly managing your hero, controlling sturdy armies, erecting monumental structures, and outsmarting opponents with distinct win conditions and unique gameplay elements.

Overview

Welcome to the ultimate guide for How To Play Lords of Hellas. Whether you’re an aspiring demigod or a seasoned warlord, this guide is crafted to give you a commanding grasp of the game’s rules and unveil the sharpened strategies that could convoy you to Olympus-worthy victory. You’ll journey through an ancient universe where strategic acumen is as crucial as the luck of the dice. From deftly sculpting your victory through divine monuments to mastering the maneuvering of your armies, our sage wisdom will reveal key tactics for dominance. Ready your wits, polish your hero’s abilities, and prepare to rewrite Hellas’ legends.

What’s in the box

  • 1 Game Board
  • 1 Quick Start Guide
  • 5 Hero miniatures
  • 5 Hero dashboards
  • 5 Artifact cards
  • 12 Oracle cards
  • 18 Blessing cards
  • 16 Monster cards
  • 3 Relic tokens
  • 75 Troop miniatures
  • 3 Monster miniatures
  • 10 Priest miniatures
  • 3 Monument miniatures (6 pieces each)
  • 7 Temple miniatures
  • 17 City miniatures
  • 12 Shrine miniatures
  • 5 Land Battle markers
  • 15 City Tokens
  • 9 Influence tokens
  • 10 Territory Control tokens
  • 27 Sphinx Rumor/Battle tokens
  • 27 Hydra Rumor/Battle tokens
  • 27 Cyclops Rumor/Battle tokens
  • 27 Cerberus Rumor/Battle tokens
  • 4 Hoplite miniatures (used as tracking tokens)
  • 9 Map Large Territory markers
  • 9 Interim Event tokens
  • 18 Hunt tokens
  • 18 Sparta tokens
  • 12 Ambush tokens
  • 12 Keys of Cronus
  • 89,37 Mythologic Tokens
  • 90,36 Spartan Tokens
  • Various cubes for tracking uses/prayers

How To Play Lords of Hellas: Rules Summary


Game Setup

Starting off, place the game board centrally where all players can access it easily. Then, take turns choosing your heroes, the color of your armies, and select the corresponding dashboard, control tokens, combat cards, and priests. Position four random monsters by their starting regions, each Monument foundation piece goes onto its matching area, and quest tokens are shuffled and placed face down. Deal artifacts and blessings drafts to tune initial strategies and set the stage for a mythic confrontation!

  1. Place the territory control and monster tokens on the game board.
  2. Give each hero their artifacts and draw starting priest cards.
  3. Everybody now draws combat cards up to their hand limit details on hero boards.

Gameplay Overview

All right heroes, gather round! You’ll be executing one action on your turn—move your hero, army movements, building structures (temples or altars), praying at monuments, or fighting monsters. Sequence these actions for the tactical edge, considering opponent’s moves as well. The sunrise arks the beginning of each player’s abilities reseting, so plan ahead!

  1. Action phases alternate among players who execute one main action.
  2. Hoplite battles and monster fights challenge players between main actions.
  3. The sensation of intrigue builds as players play intrigue cards between their main and secondary actions.

Paths to Victory

Claim your Greek myth glory pathway: Military domination by controlling two lands entirely, advancing on the monster’s track until slaying three creatures, building monuments to immense heights, or grasping onto an amazing selection of temple offerings. Assure your actions always lead towards these triumphs; every godly favor, teratological dismemberment, and strategic alliance serves your ascendancy!

  1. Conquer territories to achieve military or territorial victory conditions.
  2. Slaying monsters may bring a creature victory closer to grasp.
  3. Temple offerings and monument completion around svelte Achaeans to monument victory.

Special Rules and Conditions

In this mythos indeed, not all is as expected. Murky circumstances into clarity may turn when the hunt beasts shift per heroic action enacted. Gather round and be witted about the special region and priest rules, deploy caution in bitter betrayals, and smoothly circumnavigate wars called upon you!

  1. Regions synergize differently in the game. Kingship benefits the controlling player with victory points on certain instances.
  2. Each hero possesses an awe-inspiring, but limited, set of abilities—use them wisely and critical may your strategy unfold.
  3. Priests sway the gods’ goings through prayers, they offer strength from distances unthought by most mortals—channel their fortitude at monuments.

Best Lords Of Hellas Strategies

Mastering the Might of Heroes: Advanced Strategies for Domination

When learning How To Play Lords of Hellas, understanding how to develop your hero is fundamental. Developing your hero strategically catapults your chances of success in this mythical adventure.

Charting Your Hero’s Growth Path

  1. Begin by identifying what kind of victory you’re targeting and choose hero advancements that align with this goal. If conquest tempts you, focus on combat skills. Alternatively, hunt advancement enhances maneuverability on the board.

  2. Assemble artifacts and companions which synergize with your chosen path. A skillful combination can convert your hero from formidable to unstoppable.

Timing Your Hero’s Quests

  1. Engage in quests at opportune moments. Completing quests when your opponents are distracted by invasions or region control can yield rewards without tension.

  2. However, the journey itself should be carefully planned. Tackle quests that are on route to your other objectives to maximize efficiency.

Leveraging Abilities for Tactical Advantage

  1. Hero abilities shouldn’t be wasted. Employ them strategically—use a terrain-altering ability to disrupt an opponent’s strategy or to claim a region without combat.

  2. Mind the cooldowns. Keep track of your abilities’ refresh cycles and plan your actions around their availability for maximizing their potential.

Mastering the Might of Greece: Army Control & Expansion

Understanding the ebb and flow of territorial control is crucial in ‘How To Play Lords of Hellas.’ Primed with the right strategies, you can optimally interact with the game’s mechanisms to sculpt your path to victory.

Strategic Placement and Mobility

  1. Focus your troops in strategic areas next to multiple regions; maintaining mobility is key.

  2. Remain adaptive, moving units to threaten areas you seek to control soon.

Regional Dominance Through Expansion

  1. Expand steadily; aggressively competing for regions can overextend your forces. Balance is vital.

  2. Tactically leave low-priority regions lighter in defense to bolster more valuable areas.

Selective Combat and Engagement

  1. Engage in combat with the dual aims of territory gain and bleeding opponents’ resources.

  2. Avoid unnecessary battles that don’t progress your position or simply stymie an opponent without a clear benefit.

  3. Use foresight, considering the upcoming turns before committing to battle.

Mastering Monuments: A Route to Victory in Lords of Hellas

Monuments can tip the scales in your favor in a close game of ‘How to Play Lords of Hellas’. Understanding how and when to focus on Monument construction can be the deciding factor in claiming victory.

Establishing Worship Benefits Early

Pinpoint the Monument with abilities that synergize with your chosen hero and overall strategy. Ensure you’re building a Monument that complements your path to victory, whether it’s territorial control, hunting beasts, or achieving a certain quest.

Prioritizing Monument Stages

  1. Assess the current game state and decide if immediate worship benefits justify halting other developments.
  2. Prioritize Monuments that are nearing completion to take advantage of their full capabilities.
  3. Don’t forget to protect your investment; safeguarding the regions around your Monuments is vital to prevent opponents from utilising an uprising to their benefit.

Timing Your Worship

Monitor and react to other players’ Monument attempts, timing your worship actions to secure critical bonuses and disrupt their calculations. Claiming control over a Monument’s area at the right moment can swing the tide of battle!

Leveraging Monument Powers

Beyond the physical presence on the board, the powers unlocked by completing Monument buildings give your hero game-changing abilities or troops crucial advantages. Strategizing around these power spikes can set you up for a late-game dominance that’s hard for your opponents to counter.

Forge Your Path to Godhood

And there you have it, an extensive guide that delves into the intricate layers of ‘Lords of Hellas’. Remember, the path to victory is not singular. Between managing your mighty hero, building awe-inspiring monuments, artfully expanding your armies, and wielding the power that comes with dedicated worship, your strategies should evolve game after game. Be sure to adapt, take bold risks, and above all, embrace the unpredictable nature of Greek mythology that lies at the heart of this epic game. Now, go forth and claim your place in the annals of Hellas!

Want to know what we think of Lords of Hellas? Read our detailed review of Lords of Hellas here

Jamie in his proper element: With all of his board games
Jamie Hopkins

With years of dice-rolling, card-flipping, and strategic planning under my belt, I've transformed my passion into expertise. I thrive on dissecting the mechanics and social dynamics of board games, sharing insights from countless game nights with friends. I dive deep into gameplay mechanics, while emphasizing the social joys of gaming. While I appreciate themes and visuals, it's the strategy and camaraderie that truly capture my heart.