Twilight Imperium – Part 2: Strategery Phase
A Turn in Twilight Imperium is broken up into three phases:
1) Strategy
2) Action
3) Status
This post will go over the basics of the Strategy Phase.
There are eight strategy cards, numbered 1 through 8. Each has a Primary and a Secondary Ability. The player holding the card when it is invoked takes the effects of the Primary ability, and each of the remaining players may take the effect of the Secondary ability.
Click on the images of the cards to get a more legible view. As I haven’t played the game yet, I can’t really comment on why you would choose a given strategy over another.
Strategy Cards 1 – 4
Strategy Cards 5 – 8
The number on the card dictates the order of play. For example, the bearer of the Initiative Strategy (number 1), will always go before the player with the Imperial Strategy (number 8).
The Strategy Phase is where each player chooses the strategy he or she is interested in. Players go around the table clockwise starting from the player who last held the Initiative card.
In a six player game, there will always be two strategy cards left. These are left on the table and a “Bonus” chit is placed on each. If a strategy card is left unpicked for many rounds, the Bonuses continue to accrue. This mechanic ensures that even an unpopular Strategy will eventually be played.
“Imperial” wasn’t chosen in the last round, and. “Warfare” hasn’t been chosen for three.
When all players have chosen a Strategy, the action phase begins.
