Earth Empire

Earth Empire is one of the four expansion empires from Glorantha: The Gods War Empires board game expansion. It focuses on...

Components

Empire

Setup
Shrine on Genert's Garden. Start with 6 Power.
Unique Ability
Harmonious (Ongoing & Council Phase): When you summon an Earth Queen, she marries the empire of the matching color (if it is in play). Place that empire's wedding ring in the marriage box and give the player an Earth Queen summary card. You gain 1 power during the council phase for each married earth queen in play. Each other empire married to an earth queen in play gains 1 power.
Unique Weakness
Matrimony (Ongoing): Once married (by being summoned for the first time), the relevant earth queen is controlled by her spouse. If she is killed or eliminated, she enters the spouse's unit pool and he can re-summon her.
Heroquests
First Fragment
Every player has at least 3 units on the map.		Your ziggurat or titan survives a battle.
Second Fragment
Two players have Greater Gods on the Surface World (not Heaven or Hell).		Place your ziggurat.
Third Fragment
Summon a Titan. Earn 1 Rune.		Summon your second Titan. Earn 1 Rune.
Gifts
File:Gift - Earth (Chastity).png	Chastity (Battle; Ongoing): Your Axe Maidens that do not share an area with any of your heroes or gods have a Combat of 2.
File:Gift - Earth (Extinction).png	Extinction (Post-Battle): If any units (on either side) are killed in a battle involving the Behemoth, earn 1 Rune. If the Behemoth itself was killed, earn 2 additional Runes.
File:Gift - Earth (Injunction).png	Injunction (Council Phase): Eliminate any Earth Queen. Earn 1 Rune. This occurs before your Harmonious ability.
File:Gift - Earth (Pacifism).png	Pacifism (Battle; One-time use): After a battle has been declared but before combat dice are rolled, choose one side to roll 0 combat dice for that battle; the other side rolls normally. You may do this for a battle in which you are not involved. Then, flip this Gift face-down and take a Rune.
File:Gift - Earth (Quake).png	Quake (Action: Cost 1): Rearrange your buildings on the map as you see fit, but only among areas where you already have buildings (e.g., you may not move a building to an area where you didn't have one before using Quake). You may still only have 1 building per area.
File:Gift - Earth (Ubiquitous).png	Ubiquitous (Ongoing): When you summon a unit, you may place it on any land area (even one where you don’t have a building).

Units

Mortal Minions
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Gifts
File:Axe Maiden (Painted).png	Axe Maiden	4	1	1	Chastity
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x4)
Mortal Heros
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Gifts
File:Behemoth, Mabel (Painted).png	Behemoth, Mabel	1	4	4	Extinction
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
Greater Gods
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Gifts
File:The Titan, Genert (Painted).png	The Titan, Genert	1	4	5
		Twilight (Post-Battle): When a titan is killed, remove it from the game permanently. (This is a weakness, and so is not optional).
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
File:The Titan, Pamalt (Painted).png	The Titan, Pamalt	1	4	5
		Twilight (Post-Battle): When a titan is killed, remove it from the game permanently. (This is a weakness, and so is not optional).
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)

Buildings

Buildings
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Gifts
File:Shrine Figure - Earth (Painted).png	Shrine	6	1	0
		Availability: [Token] The Empires {TGW-1} (x6) [Figure] The Buildings {TGW-4} (x6)
		The Shrine figure replaces the Shrine token.
File:Temple Figure - Earth (Painted).png	Temple	3	2+Shrine	+1 Rout
		Earthtouch (Ongoing): When you place a temple, you must also summon (for free) an earth queen from your pool OR the pool of an earth queen's spouse into any land area (i.e., not sea, Skydome, nor Hell). This is not optional.
		Availability: [Token] The Empires {TGW-1} (x3) [Figure] The Buildings {TGW-4} (x3)
		The Temple figure replaces the Temple token.
File:Ziggurat Figure - Earth (Painted).png	Ziggurat	1	3+Temple	+1 Kill
		Earthtouch (Ongoing): When you place the ziggurat, you must also summon (for free) an earth queen from your pool OR the pool of an earth queen's spouse into any land area (i.e., not sea, Skydome, nor Hell). This is not optional.
		Availability: [Token] The Empires {TGW-1} (x1) [Figure] The Buildings {TGW-4} (x1)
		The Ziggurat figure replaces the Ziggurat token.

Expansion Units

Note: This listing excludes the Earth Queens, which are treated as units belonging to other Empires.

Greater Gods
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Gifts
File:The Virgin, Babeester Gor.png File:The Virgin, Babeester Gor (Painted).png	The Virgin, Babeester Gor	1	0/3	2
		To Summon: When the Spike shatters, immediately place Babeester Gor at any of your buildings. You may also summon it by paying 3 Power.
		Guardian (Post-Battle): If Babeester Gor is in play, when one of your buildings is conquered or destroyed, the enemy must either suffer an additional kill or lose 1 Power. He may spare your building to avoid this effect.
		File:Gift - The Virgin, Babeester Gor.png	Heroquest: Babeester Gor is in play * EITHER your Temple or Ziggurat is conquered * destroyed, OR remove your Ziggurat as your action for a round. The Avenger (Council Phase): When this gift is earned, select an enemy and give him the Earth Curse token. If a player eliminated a cursed faction's building while Babeester Gor is in play, the remover receives 2 Power or 1 VP, your choice. After the reward is received, the victim may transfer the Earth Curse to another player (except Earth).
		Availability: War Gods {TGW-5} (x1)
		The Virgin of war, she who targets oathbreakers and kinslayers and guards the shrines of Earth.
File:The Earthshaker, Maran Gor.png File:The Earthshaker, Maran Gor (Painted).png	The Earthshaker, Maran Gor	1	*	1
		To Summon: Your Ziggurat must be in play; place Maran Gor at your Ziggurat.
		Fissure (Action: Cost 2): If Maran Gor is in play, select an enamy empire. Rearrange their buildings among their areas as you see fit.
		File:Gift - The Earthshaker, Maran Gor.png	Heroquest: Maran Gor is in play and four or more Earth Queens are in play. Anthropohagy (Action: Cost 2): If Maran Gor is in play, choose one area containing an Earth Queen. One enemy unit of your choice in that area, costing 2 Power or less, is killed.
		Availability: Magic Gods {TGW-6} (x1)
		A cannibal goddess, the patron of dinosaurs. She is the malign mother goddess, in charge of earthquakes and all ills that emanate from the deep earth.
File:Grandmother Wealth, Asrelia (Painted).png	Grandmother Wealth, Asrelia	1	0/3	2
		To Summon: When you earn your 3rd empire gift, immediately place Asrelia at any of your buildings. You may also summon her by paying 3 Power.
		Keeper of the Lost (Ongoing): When Asrelia first enters play, all enemy players gain 2 Wealth tokens (put all remaining tokens in a pool next to the Rune deck). These may be spent on an owner's action as though they are Power. When another player spends a Wealth token, they must give it to you. When you spend a Wealth token, return it to the pool. An empire with 0 Power still skips its turn even if it has Wealth tokens.
		File:Gift - Grandmother Wealth, Asrelia.png	Heroquest: Asrelia is in play and at least one enemy player has no Wealth tokens left. Grandmother of Wealth (Council Phase): If Asrelia is in play, give one enemy player 2 Wealth tokens from the pool.
		Availability: Secret Gods {TGW-7} (x1)
		The Crone of wealth. She is the owner of all wealth under the earth – both that which is there naturally (gems, metal), and that which is hidden up there, such as buried treasure. She is not miserly though, and can grant gifts to the deserving.

Other components

Other components
Image	Component	Quantity	Notes
	Empire Sheet	1
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
File:Victory-Power Marker - Earth (Painted).png	Victory/Power Marker	2
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x2)
	Marriage Tile	1
		Notes: Used for the Earth Queen.
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
File:Wedding Ring - Storm (Painted).png	Wedding Ring	1
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
File:Wedding Ring - Darkness (Painted).png	Wedding Ring	1
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
File:Wedding Ring - Sky (Painted).png	Wedding Ring	1
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
File:Wedding Ring - Chaos (Painted).png	Wedding Ring	1
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
File:Wedding Ring - Moon (Painted).png	Wedding Ring	1
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
File:Wedding Ring - Sea (Painted).png	Wedding Ring	1
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
File:Wedding Ring - Invisible God (Painted).png	Wedding Ring	1
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
	Earth Curse Token	1
		Notes: Used for The Avenger.
		Availability: War Gods {TGW-5} (x1)
	Wealth Token	14
		Notes: Used for Asrelia.
		Availability: Secret Gods {TGW-7} (x14)
	Chaos Rift Die	1
		Notes: Used for the Chaos Rift Struggle.
		Availability: Chaos Rift Dice {TGW-DICE-3} (x1)

Strategy

Faction Strategy

Your empire's strategies resolve around your Earth Queens. Each Queen comes in two colors - green (the colors of Earth), plus the color of another empire.

When placing an Earth Queen on the board, you may choose any of the 7 Queens available to you. Outside of an 8-player game, some Queens will always belong to empires not represented in the current game. If summoned, those Queens will remain under your control. For example, in a game in which no one plays Darkness, the Darkness Earth Queen will remain under your control.

Building Temples is always important to your plans, since they give you Queens. If you lose a Temple to a foe, it is almost a blessing - it costs only 2 Power to upgrade a new one, and that cost is repaid by the free Queen.

You may not want to place both of your Titans in the same area - a lucky enemy assault could kill them both in one fell swoop. While you will want to marry one of your Earth Queens off to at least one other player's empire, remember that Queens are efficient in battle and cheap to replace. As your Axe Maidens will frequently be off guarding buildings, Queens can be helpful to have around.

Eventually, you will need to engage in battle. You can profit from losing your Behemoth with Extinction.

Gift Strategies

• Chastity
  • You're often short on units; this gift lets you defend your Temples cheaply and effectively. With only a single Maiden in play, an attacker will need 4 units to guarantee a victory.
• Extinction
  • Summon your Behemoth to an enemy Ziggurat, attack, take 2 runes, repeat. Otherwise, you can back the Behemoth up with enough troops to ensure kills and fight your army to extinction though the enemy ranks. By the time you're exhausted, you'll have a pocketful of runes and your enemy will be nearly wiped out.
• Injunction
  • Gains you an extra rune each turn. The flexibility afforded by having so many runes can be a tremendous asset.
• Pacifism
  • Terrifying to your foes. Watch carefully for your chance and do not be shy about using it as a threat. Remember that you do not have to be directly involved in a battle to use Pacifism. It is also good as a one-time, "don't kill my Titan" escape clause.
• Quake
  • This gift is usually defensive, for transporting an expensive building out of harm's way (swapping it with a Shrine), but it has other uses, such as beefing up a critical area with a Ziggurat or Temple to make you more dangerous in battle.
• Ubiquitous
  • This is actually your main "movement" ability. Simply summon your units into the place you plan to strike.

Story

Epilogue

"Our King was marrying the Earth Woman, and it was supposed to be a time of joy as we sat happily at the wedding feast. When the Earth Woman first appeared she was just a young girl, timid and afraid to face our rough and muscular ruler. But the moment the life vows were spoken, she underwent a transformation. Her figure blossomed. Flowers sprouted in her hair. As she strode confidently across the grass, berries fruited in her track. Our King seemed both besotted and somehow shrunken."
—Sandy Petersen