Polis: Fight for the Hegemony

Athens against Sparta in a two-player civ-lite wargame about feeding your people and winning the hegemony.

Designer: Fran Diaz
Published by: (Web published)
Editions by: Pegasus Spiele, Mercury Games, Asylum Games (Board Games)

Polis: Fight for the Hegemony is a two-player civ-lite wargame from 2012, set at the start of the great conflict of fifth-century B.C. Greece: Athens and the Delian League against Sparta and the Peloponnesian League. The winner is the empire with more population and prestige at the end. Feeding your people is the main goal, and wheat is scarce in Greece, so you must secure other goods and routes to five markets to trade them for grain. Territories produce wood, metal, wine, olive oil, silver and some wheat. Armies move across the map, dice resolve fights, and the order of phases can change from turn to turn. Two hours, ages twelve and up.

Athens and Delian League versus SpartaWheat shortage and five markets to trade atVariable phase order and dice battles

Who it's for

You and one opponent like ancient history and want a wargame where supply and trade matter as much as armies.

Not for you if…

You want more than two players or a light game. It is a two-player duel of about two hours with real bookkeeping.

Vibe's take

Tense and economic. You worry about grain and trade routes as much as about armies, and dice swings can turn a campaign.