The Empires Review Contest

It's a Noble Experiment!

Here at TMP, we like to think - why do it like everybody else! We like to strike out on our own, be original, go where no gamers have gone before, all that stuff...

So instead of having one pundit review a ruleset, we thought - why not have five pundits?

And to give it some fun, why not have a contest out of it?

And so the Empires Review Contest was born

Our old friend Hobby Products was kind enough to supply multiple review copies of Empire, and the project got underway!

During Stage One of the contest, website readers were encouraged to send in their petitions for why they should get a review copy of Empires. To help ensure that they would actually play the game, the volunteers were asked to form themselves into two-person Review Teams.

Ten teams ultimately volunteered, and then - after a political campaign filled with mud-flinging and corruption - the five Finalists (well, five teams - ten people) were selected.

(OK, it wasn't that dramatic, but somebody at the University of Pennsylvania did try to stuff the ballot box...)

What is Empires?

Empires is a fantasy wargame of epic campaigns, suitable for 2 to 6 players. Each player leads one of six fantasy realms: the Orcs, the Empire, Icelords of Isthak, the Elves, Dwarves, or Undead. Each army has its own unique troops, buildings, spells and strategies, so no two forces are alike.

The boxed set includes maps and counters so that Empires can be played immediately. There is also a line of Empires models which can replace the cardboard counters. Most of the figures are 15mm scale, though large monsters and buildings are scaled to fit the game. The boxed set includes two capital city models.

And then they reviewed Empires?

Well, yes. Although one of the Review Teams was an international duo, and a package was delayed, so the contest deadline was extended. And they made the deadline, but one of the other teams didn't, which leaves four...

And even then, the contest report at TMP has been delayed for an intolerable length of time! (It seems like every time I've sat down to publish the articles, some emergency occurs or some news story breaks or some idiot launches an attack on the website...)

But now, here, at last - the Empires reviews!