In Zhanguo: the First Empire, you must take part in the Emperor’s Unification of China project to earn your place in the Mausoleum. You’ll need to focus on different aspects of the game in order to suceed !
Unifying China: a social project
The greatest task facing you is the unification of China in its societal and cultural aspects.
The 6 cards you hold each round belong to 3 of these projects: establishing a single currency, a common writing system and fair laws for all. By placing one of your cards in one of your Regions, you collect one or more Unification tokens related to currency, writing or laws. At the end of the round, if you’re the first to have successfully progressed in one of these projects, you win the Emperor’s favor, which provides you with a generous bonus.
This unification also involves sending Governors to the different regions, to appease the population facing all the changes you impose. At the end of the game, the Emperor will reward you for each region in which you have the majority of Governors.
Search for the Elixir of Immortality
The Emperor was obsessed with overcoming his mortal status. That’s why each player has a ship which he will launch in the direction of Japan, in search of the Elixir of Eternal Life. On this track, you’ll be able to place Alchemy cards to improve your game engine, unlock terracotta soldiers for the Mausoleum and score points according to your alchemical progress.
Find your place in the Emperor’s Mausoleum (Terracotta Army)
The Mausoleum is a game zone that lists all the objectives given by the Emperor, and the VPs associated with them. When a player achieves a Mausoleum objective, he can place one of his terracotta soldiers on the corresponding tile. The first player always earns more points than the next players. But beware: to validate an objective, you need a Terracotta! These can be unlocked in exchange for Unification tokens, or by advancing along the Elixir of Life sea route.
Building the Great Wall
You can build sections of the Great Wall throughout the game. Using a few Workers, you can build one of your walls. These sections of the Great Wall give you access to occasional bonuses if you’re quick enough to build, as well as additional scoring at the end of the game.
In Zhanguo, you’ll have you’ll have a lot to do to please the Emperor! You’ll have to juggle his various missions to outdo your opponents.
