Blood & Treasure

Over 20 years, the United States deployed over 750,000 service members to Afghanistan to oversee a transformation of the country that would cost 2.3 trillion US dollars and over 175,000 lives. The US military thwarted insurgents, while the creation of infrastructure, economic development, training and additional security was entrusted to the largest deployment of private contractors in an active war zone. Each player will represent an American firm working to amass as much revenue as possible in the form of obligations for defense contracts during the US War in Afghanistan. Players will gain obligations by obtaining government contracts in their specialty. The game can accommodate 2-5 players and will end after as few as 6 or as many as 8 rounds. The firm with the most obligations (VP) will win. If there is a tie, the firm with the most projects (completed and ongoing) among tied players wins. Each firm begins with three pawns available and one pawn, two knights and a queen that can become available by use of the Lobby action. All such pieces are referred to as contractors and will be placed in unoccupied spaces on the board to select an action or on a contract card in that firm’s tableau. Unlike pawns, knights may displace an opponent’s pawn in any board spaces other than the Lobby. Displaced pawns in market contract spaces are pushed to the next available space in the queue (if able). Displaced pawns on other board spaces are returned to available. Knights are also better protected than other contractors during the Hazard Phase (see pg. 6). Actions taken by a firm’s queen are executed immediately (unlike all other contractors). Queens may also displace an opponent’s knight or pawn in any board space with the same restrictions as a knight. -description from publisher