Glory to Rome

2005

Glory to Rome is a thrilling card-based city-building game. Each card holds multiple purposes, forcing players into strategic decisions while they rebuild Rome, manage resources, and outmaneuver opponents. Perfect for those who love strategy and history!

60
minutes

2 - 5
player(s)

12+

Medium

About the game

Glory to Rome is a highly engaging and strategically rich card game that immerses players in the vibrant, chaotic world of Ancient Rome. The game is set amidst the rebuilding efforts following the great fire of Rome, a historical event that adds a unique and captivating context to the gameplay.

In Glory to Rome, each player takes on the role of a Roman patrician, with the goal of rebuilding Rome and gaining the most influence in the process. The players are not just competing against each other, they’re fighting against the game itself, adding a layer of complexity and tension that keeps every round exciting.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Glory to Rome is a strategy card game where players are Roman architects trying to rebuild the city after the great fire. The game consists of several components, each having a specific purpose and interaction with the game. Here are the components and their functions:

1. Deck of 180 Cards:

This is the main component of the game. Each card can be used in four different ways: as a building, a client, a material, or a currency. The way the card is used depends on the player’s strategy and the current state of the game.

2. Player Mats:

There are 5 player mats in the game. Each player uses a mat to organize their cards and game actions. The mat has spaces for the stockpile (where materials are stored), the clientele (where clients are placed), the vault (for storing valuable goods), and the completed buildings.

3. Jacks:

These are special cards that act as wild cards. They can be used as any role during the action phase, giving players flexibility in their strategy.

4. Role Cards:

There are 6 types of role cards: Patron, Laborer, Architect, Legionary, Merchant, and Craftsman. Each role has a unique ability that allows players to perform specific actions such as drawing cards, constructing buildings, or collecting materials.

5. Building Cards:

The deck includes a variety of building cards, each with unique abilities. The buildings provide players with ongoing benefits or one-time bonuses once they are constructed.

6. Influence Points:

These are the victory points of the game. Players earn influence points by constructing buildings and performing certain actions. The player with the most influence points at the end of the game wins.

7. Order Cards:

These cards are used to determine the order of play each round. Each player gets a set of order cards numbered 1 through 5.

8. Site Cards:

Site cards indicate where a building can be constructed. Each building card requires a specific type of site.

9. Material Cards:

Material cards are used to construct buildings. There are five different types of materials: wood, stone, rubble, brick, and concrete.

Each component in Glory to Rome has a crucial role in the game’s mechanics and each player’s strategy, contributing to the game’s depth and replayability.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Glory to Rome is a card game that tasks players with rebuilding Rome after the great fire. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

1. Prepare the Game Components:

Separate the cards into 5 different piles: The Jacks, Sites, Materials, Orders, and Influence cards.
Shuffle each pile individually, and then place them in the center of the table within reach of all players.

2. Prepare the Players:

Each player should receive a player mat which will serve as their “construction yard”.
Players start the game with no initial resources. These are acquired during gameplay.

3. Set Up the Game Board:

Place the Site cards in a stack to form the “Site deck”. Reveal the top 5 cards and place them face-up in the center of the table to form the “Site pool”.
Place the Order cards in a stack to form the “Order deck”. Reveal the top 5 cards from the Order deck and place them face-up in the center of the table to form the “Order pool”.
Place the Jack cards in a separate stack. These cards are only drawn when a player chooses to lead or follow with a Jack.
The Material cards should be placed in a separate stack. These cards are only drawn when a player chooses to lead or follow with a Material card.

4. Initial Draw:

Each player draws 5 cards from the Order deck as their starting hand.

5. Determine the Starting Player:

Randomly determine the starting player. That player takes the first turn, and play proceeds clockwise around the table.

The setup is now complete, and you are ready to start rebuilding Rome. Remember, the objective of the game is to gain the most influence by completing buildings and fulfilling orders. The player with the most influence at the end of the game is declared the winner. Good luck!

Game flow Round and round we go

Glory to Rome is a card game where players are Roman patricians trying to rebuild their city after the great fire of Rome. The game is played in rounds and phases, with each player performing various actions during their turn. The game ends when all the sites in Rome are built, the deck runs out, or a player achieves a specific victory condition.

Round Structure:

Leader Phase: The player who has the Leader token starts the round by choosing a role from their hand and playing it face up on the table. This role determines the main action for the round.
Follow Phase: Moving clockwise, each player decides whether to follow the leader’s role or think. If they choose to follow, they must play a card of the same role from their hand. If they choose to think, they draw cards equal to the number of cards in their Think space plus one.
Action Phase: Starting with the leader and moving clockwise, each player performs the action corresponding to the chosen role. If they cannot or choose not to perform the action, they must “think” instead.
Cleanup Phase: All cards in the pool (center of the table) are moved to the discard pile. The leader token passes to the next player clockwise.

Player Actions:

Patron: Draw a card from the pool into your clientele. Clientele cards allow you to perform more actions per turn.
Laborer: Take a material card from the pool into your stockpile. Materials are used to build structures.
Craftsman or Architect: Use materials from your stockpile to build structures from your hand or add to structures you have in play. Structures provide special abilities and victory points.
Legionary: Demand a type of material from other players. If they have it, they must give it to you.
Merchant: Sell a material from your stockpile for victory points.
Think: Draw cards from the deck into your hand. The number of cards you draw is equal to the number of cards in your Think space plus one.

Game End:

The game ends immediately when either the draw deck is exhausted, all site cards have been built, or a player has completed the ‘Rome Demands’ card. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game is the winner. In the event of a tie, the player with the most cards in their influence stack wins.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Glory to Rome is a complex and strategic card game where players take on the role of Roman patricians in the aftermath of the great fire of Rome. Each turn in the game is divided into multiple phases, where players can take a variety of actions. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what happens during a player’s turn:

1. Leader Phase: The player whose turn it is becomes the “leader” for that round. The leader’s first task is to choose an action for the round from their hand or from the pool in the center of the table. The chosen card is placed face up in front of the player.

2. Patron Phase: As a patron, the player can hire a client from the pool. Hiring a client allows the player to use that client’s ability in future turns. To hire a client, the player must have a card of the same type in their hand.

3. Craftsman / Laborer Phase: In this phase, the player can act as a craftsman or laborer. As a craftsman, the player can start a building project by placing a building card from their hand into their work area. As a laborer, the player can add material to a building project.

4. Architect / Legionary Phase: In the architect phase, the player can add structures to their city from their work area. This requires the same amount of material as the value of the building. In the legionary phase, the player can demand material from other players.

5. Thinker / Merchant Phase: As a thinker, the player can draw cards. As a merchant, the player can move goods from their stockpile to their vault. This action can earn the player influence points, which are crucial for winning the game.

Strategic Choices: Players need to make strategic choices throughout the game. These include which type of clients to hire, which buildings to construct, and when to move goods to their vault. These decisions can greatly affect the outcome of the game.

Client Selection: Choosing the right clients can provide valuable abilities that can be used in future turns. The ability of a client can influence a player’s strategy and play style.
Building Construction: The type of buildings a player constructs can influence their scoring potential and provide unique benefits. Some buildings provide immediate bonuses, while others provide long-term benefits.
Goods Movement: Deciding when to move goods to the vault can greatly affect a player’s score. Goods in the vault provide influence points, which are required to win the game.

In Glory to Rome, the player with the most influence points at the end of the game is declared the winner. Hence, strategic planning and clever utilization of cards are key to victory.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Glory to Rome, a card-based city building and resource management game, ends under two distinct conditions.

First Condition: The Draw Deck is Depleted

The game ends immediately if the draw deck is depleted and a player needs to draw a card but is unable to do so because there are no cards left in the deck.

Second Condition: The Catacomb is Completed

The game also ends immediately if a player completes the catacomb, which is a structure that can be built during the game. The catacomb is considered completed when a player has added the sixth different building type to it.

Once the game ends under either of these two conditions, the points are tallied up for final scoring.

Final Scoring:

During the final scoring, players add up the points from their completed buildings, bonus points from specific buildings, and points from any influence they have.

Completed Buildings: Each building that a player has completed during the game is worth a certain number of points indicated on the card.
Bonus Points: Some buildings give bonus points. For example, the catacomb gives a player one bonus point for each different type of building they have in their completed structures.
Influence Points: Players also add their influence points to their score. Each influence point is worth one victory point.

The player with the highest total score wins. In the case of a tie, the player with the most influence points wins. If there is still a tie, the player who is earliest in order from the player who triggered the end of the game wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Glory to Rome’, players accumulate points through various actions and building structures. At the end of the game, the points are tallied to determine the winner. Here’s a full breakdown of the scoring system:

Building Structures

Each building structure in ‘Glory to Rome’ has a fixed point value. Players earn these points when they complete the construction of a building. The point value varies depending on the type and size of the building. For instance:

The Catacomb is worth 3 points.
The Bridge is worth 6 points.
The Basilica offers 8 points.

Stockpile Points

Players can also earn points by accumulating resources in their stockpile. At the end of the game, each resource in a player’s stockpile counts as one point.

Patron Bonus Points

Players can earn bonus points by using the Patron action to hire clients. Each client card that matches the role of the influence card played that turn will earn the player bonus points. The number of bonus points depends on the number of matching cards.

Vault Points

Any materials stored in the vault are also counted towards the final score. Each material in the vault is equivalent to the point value of the building it could construct.

End Game Bonus Points

Some buildings provide bonus points at the end of the game. These bonuses are specified on the building cards and are awarded based on specific conditions. For example, the Statue provides 2 bonus points for each marble in the player’s stockpile or vault.

Tie-Breaking Rules

In the event of a tie, the player with the most influence points is the winner. If there is still a tie, the player with the most clients wins. If there is yet another tie, the player with the most materials in their stockpile wins. If there is a tie even after this, the player who went first in the game is the winner.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

In the popular board game ‘Glory to Rome’, there are several special rules and exceptions that players should be aware of. These can often be overlooked, but they can greatly affect the outcome of the game.

1. Pool Limit Rule:

Gaining influence increases your Pool limit. However, this does not retrospectively add cards to your Pool. The extra space is available for future turns. This means that if you gain influence while your Pool is already at its maximum, you do not immediately draw additional cards.

2. Thinker Card Rule:

When a player uses a Thinker Card to draw cards, they cannot choose to perform a Thinker as a role. That is, you cannot use a Thinker Card to draw more cards and then also use the Thinker role to draw even more cards in the same turn.

3. Merchant Bonus Rule:

Merchants receive a bonus when selling goods, but this bonus only applies to the first good of any type sold in a turn. If a player sells multiple goods of the same type in one turn, they only receive the bonus for the first good.

4. Legionary Rule:

When a player uses the Legionary role, all other players must reveal a card from their hand of the same type if they have it. If they do not have the requested type, they do not have to reveal a card.

5. Architect Rule:

When a player uses the Architect role, they can only use materials from their stockpile. They cannot use materials from their hand or their clientèle. If they do not have enough materials in their stockpile, they cannot complete the building.

6. Jack Rule:

A Jack can be used as a wild card to represent any role, but it cannot be used to lead or follow a role. If a player leads with a Jack, they must declare which role it represents, and all other players must follow with that role or a Jack.

7. Catacomb End Game Rule:

The game ends immediately if a player completes a Catacomb. This is regardless of the number of cards left in the draw pile or the number of influence points of the players.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Glory to Rome is a strategic card game that revolves around the rebuilding of Rome. As with any game, it can be quite challenging at first, but with the right strategies and tips, you can become a master. Here are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay in ‘Glory to Rome’.

Advanced Strategies:

Maximize the use of your clients. Remember that clients can be used to perform actions without having to lead or follow. This means you can do more each round and progress faster.
Try to gain control of the Catacombs as soon as possible. This structure allows you to stash away cards without impacting your influence, which is crucial as the game progresses.
Keep a close eye on your opponents. Try to anticipate their moves and plan your actions accordingly. If you can predict what structures they are aiming to build, you can adjust your strategy to counteract theirs.

Beginner Tips:

Start by focusing on building as many structures as possible. This will not only give you valuable points, but also provide you with useful abilities for later in the game.
Don’t underestimate the power of the Forum. It may seem weak at first, but it can be a game-changer if used correctly.
Remember to balance your resources. It’s tempting to hoard cards, but remember that you need a variety of resources to build structures and progress in the game.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Don’t focus on just one strategy. It’s important to be flexible and adapt to the situation on the board. If your initial strategy isn’t working, don’t be afraid to change it.
Avoid neglecting your influence. It’s easy to forget about influence when you are caught up in building structures, but it’s a crucial part of the game that can’t be overlooked.
Don’t ignore your opponents. Pay attention to what they are doing and try to counteract their strategies. If you ignore them, you run the risk of them sneaking up and taking the lead.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Use your leader card wisely. It’s a powerful tool that can give you a significant advantage, but only if used at the right time.
Try to plan a few turns ahead. This will allow you to prepare for future actions and make better use of your cards.
Practice makes perfect. The more you play, the better you will understand the game and the more effective your strategies will become.