The Great Wall: Ancient Beasts

About this expansion

The Great Wall: Ancient Beasts is a 2021 board game experience for 1–4 players, with games lasting around 180 minutes. It expands strategic possibilities with mythical beast Advisors, new Tactic cards, Ancient Chronicle modes, and Relics.

Twelve new Advisors offer more choice and replayability. Four are based on legendary creatures and include miniatures that occupy dedicated places on the board. Their positioning matters, as each creature provides a distinct and powerful benefit.

• Qilin gathers an additional resource or Meditation from a chosen Location and can later be replaced by a regular Clerk for free.
• Yinglong gathers forces at a Wall Section and makes Soldiers there count as two when gaining Honor for defeated Hordes.
• Spirit Turtle prevents Soldiers from dying on one Wall Section.
• Fenghuang replaces all your Overseers and acts as three maximum-level Overseers at a chosen Location, while returning the former Overseers to your pool.

The remaining eight Advisors bring additional strategic options, including freely moving Cavalry between Walls, gaining more Honor as a leader, claiming an Artifact, and avoiding an Honor penalty when activating your own Location.

Eight new Tactic cards introduce two battle-focused card types. Hold the Line! rewards cooperation among players defending a Wall Section, while Wipeout offers a risky chance for Soldiers to attack again if they win.

Six Ancient Chronicle Game Modes add new rules, themes, stories, buildings, and setup changes across the Years of the game. Ten Relics provide another scoring option: they can be upgraded, reward players according to their ranking, and may sometimes activate during each Year rather than only at the end.

With its combination of powerful Advisors, shifting tactics, and competitive Relic rewards, The Great Wall: Ancient Beasts offers new ways to plan each game.