Reprint of Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition Due Out Next Month

Elliott MillerAug 28, 2011

For those, like me, who have never played Twilight Imperium because it has gotten pretty scarce on store shelves, there is some good news. Fantasy Flight Games is expecting the reprint of Twilight Imperium Third Edition to land on US shores in September. This is one of those games that everyone talks about, rumors of epic games lasting 8 hours takes me back to my early gaming days where completing an RPG or wargame would be a titanic undertaking. We didn’t have much in the way of video games or internet back then, so dedicating an entire weekend to a single game was really no big deal.

Twilight Imperium was the first game FFG ever published and has gone through two evolutions since it’s initial release, along with the Shattered Empire Expansion and the recently released Shards of the Throne expansion. For those of you unfamiliar with Twilight Imperium, here’s a little background info to whet your appitite, or you can also read all about it on the Fantasy Flight Games Website.

Twilight Imperium is an epic board game of galactic conquest for 3-6 players. Taking on the role of one of ten ancient civilizations, players compete for interstellar supremacy through warfare, trade, uncertain allegiances, and political dominance. Each civilization provides a unique game experience with different abilities and play styles. Will you play as the Emirates of Hacan and preside over every trade agreement made in the galaxy, or will you be the Federation of Sol and rapidly take over worlds in hopes of dominating the entire galaxy? In Twilight Imperium many roads lead to Rome (or Mecatol Rex), but no road is without its bumps.

As the prominent leader of your civilization, you must make enemies and allies with the other respected leaders that sit around you. Alliances can be made and broken in an instant. War can be waged, and then rescinded in the matter of minutes. The galaxy isn’t stable, so how you will be the beacon to guide your people through? Turn after turn, you must decide what is in your peoples best interest. Choosing a political path may allow you to use your votes which you’ve accumulated in passing a bill on Mecatol Rex. But what will you do next turn when your defenses are broken and your homeworld is invaded? Or, will you stage an all-out fleet assault on a bordering colony? These are all just examples of the tough decisions you’ll have to make in Twilight Imperium.

A game of Twilight Imperium continues until one player gains ten victory points. These victory points can be gained by completing objectives, both public and secret, or by taking the Imperial Strategy card. Objectives consist of spending resources or influence, gaining technology advances, planetary domination, and many other tasks. It is more than likely that players will be rewarded for being in the lead in one of the aspects of the game, be it military strength, territory control, or political finesse. In this sense, it is a good idea to find a niche in the game and exploit your opponents’ weaknesses.