Sabatu

Theme and Victory Conditions:

Sabatu is a light strategy game of ancient conquest set in the plains of Sumer (Mesopotamia) over 4,000 years ago. There are two ways to win a game of Sabatu. You can employ a strategy of speed and be the first player to seize any 3 Capitals and to occupy all 3 of them at the same time. Or you can be the first player to build four Walls around one City. The first player to successfully implement either one of these strategies and is able to hold it until the beginning of their next turn is declared Conqueror of the Known World or as Sargon King of Akkad called himself Sarru-kinu, “The Rightful King”.

Gameplay:

1. A player must begin their turn by drawing one Conquest card and immediately following the instructions on the card.
2. The player then rolls 2 dice (3 if using all 9 regions), unless otherwise instructed by the Conquest card, or uses Spoils coins to move around the board toward their objectives.
3. When landing on designated spaces such as “Spoils” or “Armory” draw one tile from the appropriate bag. If landing on a “Destiny” space draw one Destiny card and immediately follow the instructions.
4. Position your troops, buy Walls, trade, do battle if you wish or build your forces and supplies. It’s up to you.
5. When you are done pass the dice to the next player, signaling that your turn is done.

Battles:

When attempting to occupy the same space already held by another player on the board or when attacking an opponent’s City, the 2 Armies must fight a battle. After each player decides which armor or weapons they will use the players each roll one die and then add the value of the Armory tile to the roll of the die. The Army with the highest total amount is victorious. In the event of a tie, the attacker has the option of continuing the attack or retreat. If discretion is the better part of valor and retreat is the desired course of action then the attacker rolls 1 die and moves away from the defender the number of spaces indicated by the die. As long as a City has one or more walls any army within the walls has a 1 point advantage when fighting a battle, in addition to any Armory tile the defender may wish to play.

No player is eliminated from the game. If a player’s Armies have all been eliminated from the game, that player begins their next turn with a new Army at Home.