Description

A board game for 1-4+ players in which each player is a unique incarnation of Xenophon and the Ten Thousand. The 10,000 are Greek mercenaries who have come to fight for Cyrus, the younger brother of the Persian King Artaxerxes. Cyrus is killed in battle against the King leaving the Greeks abandoned, deep in hostile territory. The Greeks begin a long march northward to the Black Sea and Greek territory. The player whose pawn reaches the sea first and with the most men is the winner.

• The Distance Track. This track has 60 numbered spaces. The first space is that of Cunaxa where Cyrus was killed. The last space is the Coastal Greek Colony of Trapezus. Each player has his own uniquely coloured pawn which he moves along

the distance Track. Each space represents about 10 Miles.

• This track has 60 numbered spaces. A single neutral pawn is moved a single space after all players have completed a single turn. When a player reaches the sea he should take his coloured pawn from the distance track and place it on the time track on the current space to mark how long his journey took. Each space represents about 2 days.

Each player starts with 10,000 men. Men are lost during the journey due to fighting, exposure, starvation, and desertion. Paper and pencil to keep track of your manpower total.

Each Food Token represents 1 days supply worth of food for the Army. Lack of Food Tokens will result in accumulation of Starvation Tokens. Mutiny Tokens represent dissent and despondency amongst the ranks. Anger Tokens represent the accumulation of barbarian forces arrayed against you.

Players share an action deck. Most cards will increase or reduce the value of a target die-roll. Most improve your rolls. Others will be to the detriment of your opponent.

1. Draw Phase - The current player draws 3 cards.
2. Route Phase - Roll against the Route Table. The result will generate modifiers for one or more of the forage, travel and battle rolls.
3. Weather Phase – Roll against the Weather Table. The weather conditions will generate modifiers for the forage and travel rolls
4. Satrap Phase – Roll against the Satrap table to determine whether you encounter a Satrap.
5. Negotiations Phase - If you encountered a Satrap this turn make a negotiation roll. This will result in gaining Anger or Food tokens.
6. Attack Phase - Make an Attack Roll. If your result is equal to or less than the number of AT you have, you are attacked by Barbarians.
7. Battle Phase - If you are attacked by Barbarians remove 1 Anger Token and make a battle roll to determine the number of casualties.
8. Exposure Phase - If the weather was harsh this turn make an exposure roll and lose men accordingly.
9. Forage Phase - You may choose not to forage, if so skip this turn. Otherwise make a roll against the forage table to gain a combination of food and anger tokens
10. Consumption Phase - If you currently have a food token, discard all your starvation tokens. Discard 1 food token. If you have no food tokens to lose gain 1 starvation token.
11. Starvation Phase - If you have Starvation Tokens make a roll to determine the number of men lost.
12. Morale Phase – Roll on morale table to determine whether you gain a mutiny token.
13. Rally Phase - If you have mutiny tokens make a rally roll to see whether you can remove any of them.
14. Desertion Phase - If you have mutiny tokens make a desertion roll to see whether any men desert.
15. Travel Phase - Make a travel roll to determine how far your pawn advances on the distance map. This roll will be modified by weather and route markers and other activities undertaken during the turn.
16. End Phase - Max hand size is 7 cards. Discard excess cards.

The game ends when all players have finally reached the last space on the Distance Track. Players then calculate their scores:
Player Score = (Remaining men) divided by (number of turns to reach the sea)