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Moon 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 the Moon. Set the Lunar Cycle as you please. Start with 6 Power.
Unique Ability/Weakness
Lunar Cycle (Action: Cost 1): Advance the Lunar Cycle marker one step (always clockwise). All players may use this action.
Heroquests
First Fragment
At the start of the Power Phase, the Lunar Cycle is at Dying Moon.
Earn 2 Power.
At the start of the Power Phase, the Lunar Cycle is at Half Moon.
Earn 3 Power.
Second Fragment
At the start of the Power Phase, the Lunar Cycle is at Full Moon.
Earn 4 Power.
Place your Ziggurat.
Third Fragment
No Moon Temples are in your Pool. Summon the Red Goddess, Sedenya.
Gifts
Gift - MoonFile:Gift - Moon (Adoption).png Adoption (Action: Cost 1): Choose an area containing enemy units. Swap the positions of a single empire's units in that area one-for-one with your units in another area (excess units are not swapped). You cannot adopt units into or out of Hell. Pay 1 additional Power if you Adopt any number of greater gods.
Gift - MoonFile:Gift - Moon (Eclipse).png Eclipse (Ongoing): When you declare Battle, immediately advance the Lunar Cycle 1 step. (When another player declares battle against you, do not advance the Cycle).
Gift - MoonFile:Gift - Moon (Enslavement).png Enslavement (Ongoing): All units routed by you are placed in your Slave Pen. After taking an action, a player may pay you 1 Power to rescue one of his units from your Slave Pen and place it with one of his buildings, OR that player may pay you 1 VP to rescue all of his units at once and distribute them among his buildings. Enslaved units still count as "in play."
Gift - MoonFile:Gift - Moon (Madness).png Madness (Ongoing): When the Lunar Cycle moves to Full Moon, earn 1 Rune if a Selene is in play. Gain 1 Power for every area containing a Selene. If any other player is at 0 Power, you do not gain this Power.
Gift - MoonFile:Gift - Moon (Mindblast).png Mindblast (Pre-Battle): If the Crimson Bat is in a battle, you may choose to subtract his Combat from the enemy's total instead of adding it to your own.
Gift - MoonFile:Gift - Moon (Moonburn).png Moonburn (Action: Cost 1): The Red Goddess must be in play. If it is Half Moon, destroy a Shrine or Chaos Nest. If it is Full Moon, destroy a Temple. Place that building in your Moonburn Box. Return that building to its owner's pool in the next Power Phase, or its owner may spend 1 Power at any time to place it back into his pool. You cannot Moonburn an empire that already has a building in the Moonburn Box.

Units[]

Mortal Minions
Image Unit Quantity Cost Combat Gifts
Assassin File:Assassin (Painted).png
Assassin 4 1 Dying: 0
Half: 1
Full: 2
Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x4)
Mortal Heros
Image Unit Quantity Cost Combat Gifts
Crimson Bat File:Crimson Bat (Painted).png
Crimson Bat 1 3 Dying: 1
Half: 3
Full: 5
Mindblast
Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
Lesser Gods
Image Unit Quantity Cost Combat Gifts
Selene File:Selene (Painted).png
Selene 3 2 Dying: 0
Half: 1
Full: 2
Madness
Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x3)
Greater Gods
Image Unit Quantity Cost Combat Gifts
The Red Goddess, Sedenya File:The Red Goddess, Sedenya (Painted).png
The Red Goddess, Sedenya 1 4 (Your temple or ziggurat must be in play) Dying: 1
Half: 3
Full: 5
Menses (Pre- or Post-Battle): If the Red Goddess is in a battle, EITHER summon an assassin (for free) to the area pre-battle, OR summon a selene (for free) to the area post-battle, your choice.
Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)

Buildings[]

Buildings
Image Unit Quantity Cost Combat Gifts
Shrine Token - Moon

Shrine Figure - Moon File:Shrine Figure - Moon (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.
Temple Token - Moon

Temple Figure - Moon File:Temple Figure - Moon (Painted).png
Temple 3 2+Shrine +1 Rout
Reaching Moon (Ongoing): When a Moon temple is placed on the map, advance the Lunar Cycle one step. This is not optional.
Availability: [Token] The Empires {TGW-1} (x3)
[Figure] The Buildings {TGW-4} (x3)
The Temple figure replaces the Temple token.
Ziggurat Token - Moon

Ziggurat Figure - Moon File:Ziggurat Figure - Moon (Painted).png
Ziggurat 1 3+Temple +1 Kill
Reaching Moon (Ongoing): When a Moon ziggurat is placed on the map, advance the Lunar Cycle one step. 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[]

Lesser Gods
Image Unit Quantity Cost Combat Gifts
Earth Queen - Moon File:Earth Queen - Moon (Painted).png
Earth Queen 1 2 1, OR 0 vs. Earth Empire

Loyalty Card - Earth Queen

How to Obtain the Earth Queen Loyalty Card: Give to a new Spouse.
The Earth Queen is now married to you for the rest of the game. She is your unit to control, and if she is killed or eliminated she returns to your unit pool rather than Earth’s unit pool. You may summon her in the same manner as any of your other units.
Earth may also re-summon her from your pool when placing a Temple or Ziggurat. When this happens you do not decide the area to which she is summoned, but you still control her after she is placed.
During the Council Phase, earn 1 Power if this Queen is in play.
Be aware that the Earth has the Injunction gift, which may eliminate an Earth Queen during the Council Phase in order to gain a rune. Injunction occurs in the council Phase before you would gain 1 power for this unit.
Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
Greater Gods
Image Unit Quantity Cost Combat Gifts
File:The Balancer, Natha.png File:The Balancer, Natha (Painted).png
The Balancer, Natha 1 0/3 Dying 4
Half 1
Full 1

To Summon: When the Spike shatters, immediately place Natha at any of your buildings. You may also summon it by paying 3 Power.
Chaos Gift (One-Time): When Natha enters play, place the Black Moon token anywhere on the Lunar Cycle.
Chaos Gift (Pre-Battle): Add +6 to your Combat total if the Lunar Cycle marker is on the Black Moon token. This does not apply to battles involving a lone building.
File:Gift - The Balancer, Natha.png Heroquest: While Natha is in play, declare battle during the Dying Moon.
Moonrise (Ongoing): If Natha is in play and the Red Goddess is eliminated, immediately replace her on your building in a new area.
Availability: War Gods {TGW-5} (x1)
Natha, The Balancer, and war goddess of Moon. Her harbinger is the Black Moon, intangible, unreal, seen by its effects on the Moon Goddess itself.
Midwife of Time, Rashorana File:Midwife of Time, Rashorana (Painted).png
Midwife of Time, Rashorana 1 2 Dying 1
Half 4
Full 1

To Summon: A Moon Greater God must be in Hell; place Rashorana on the Moon.
Chronomancy (Ongoing): When Rashorana is first placed on the map, place the White Moon token anywhere on the Lunar Cycle. Afterwards, each time the Lunar Cycle marker lands on the White Moon token, gain 1 Rune. This ability remains in effect even if Rashorana is no longer in play.
File:Gift - Midwife of Time, Rashorana.png Heroquest: Rashorana is in play, declare battle during the Waning Half Moon.
All Eyes Moonward (Post-Battle): If Rashorana is killed in a battle, your side suffers no other Kills or Battle Eliminations.
Availability: Magic Gods {TGW-6} (x1
Rashorana – the Midwife of Time, represented by the White Moon, which has never risen, but whose presence is dearly wished by all.
Her benign gaze marks the end of war and pain.
Blue Moon, Annilla File:Blue Moon, Annilla (Painted).png
Blue Moon, Annilla 1 0/3 2

To Summon: When you earn your 3rd empire gift, immediately place Annilla at any of your buildings. You may also summon her by paying 3 Power.
The Tides (Ongoing): When Annilla is first placed on the map, place the Blue Moon token anywhere on the Lunar Cycle. Afterwards, when Moon performs the Lunar Cycle action, she may, instead of advancing the Lunar Cycle marker, swap its position with the Blue Moon token (which also counts as advancing the Lunar Cycle). This ability remains in effect even if Annilla is no longer in play.
File:Gift - Blue Moon, Annilla.png Heroquest: Annilla is in play, the Blue Moon token is at Full Moon, and the Lunar Cycle token is at Dying Moon. Earn 1 Rune.
Concealment (Ongoing): If Annilla is in play, other players cannot declare battle against you except in an area containing one of your buildings.
Availability: Secret Gods {TGW-7} (x1)
Annilla – the Goddess of the Blue Moon, and the ultimate goddess of secret powers, such as conspiracies, the tides, and the vast forces that underly society.
She is personified by the Blue Moon, which falls from the skydome as the Blue Streak, and then must laboriously climb from Hell to the Skydome again.

Other components[]

Other components
Image Component Quantity Notes
Empire Sheet - Moon
Empire Sheet 1
Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
Victory-Power Marker - Moon File:Victory-Power Marker - Moon (Painted).png
Victory/Power Marker 3
Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x3)
Slave Pen-Moonburn Box Tile
Slave Pen/Moonburn Box Tile 1
Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
Black Moon Token
Black Moon Token 1
Notes: Used for Natha.
Availability: War Gods {TGW-5} (x1)
White Moon Token
White Moon Token 1
Notes: Used for Rashorana.
Availability: Magic Gods {TGW-6} (x1)
Blue Moon Token
Blue Moon Token 1
Notes: Used for Annilla.
Availability: Secret Gods {TGW-7} (x1)
Chaos Rift Die - Moon
Chaos Rift Die 1
Notes: Used for the Chaos Rift Struggle.
Availability: Chaos Rift Dice {TGW-DICE-3} (x1)

Strategy[]

Faction Strategy[]

The early game is the best time to focus on your Lunar Cycle Heroquests - other players are generally too short on Power to mess with you, and you do not have enough units on the map to frighten them.

All of your best powers require time to implement properly, and all compete for your attention. If you put off Enslavement, Moonburn, or Madness until near the end of the game, these gifts will have little effect. The most common error a Moon player makes is to try to use all of these gifts. You cannot, at least not in every game, so you must choose between them or seek a balance to build a sensible strategy. If you can get these gifts to all work together, you can execute amazing combinations. Joining Goddess's Menses with Eclipse, Enslavement, and Madness can churn through the Cycle quickly while also piling up a store of hostages your enemies will need to ransom.

Even with Menses, you may still want to summon your first Selene to start the Madness cycle. Sometimes players won't want to spend Power to advance your cycle and you'll find yourself staying at Full Moon for a while, but that's pretty sweet too.

But...getting to this point takes a delicate balancing act. The Crimson Bat is by far the most potent unit in your pool - use his Mindblast to bring victory out of defeat, or even completely shut down a weak enemy.

Gift Strategies[]

  • Adoption
    • Not only a useful escape route, but also good to put a hated enemy in harm's way.
  • Eclipse
    • It may seem like a double-edged sword, but in effect it gives you a free Lunar Cycle bump, since you out to be attacking anyway. Of course, reserve your Dying Moon attack for unguarded Shrines. Adoption can put you in position for these attacks.
  • Enslavement
    • Another reason you should want to attack as often as possible. Every person in your Slave Pen is a Power boost waiting to happen.
  • Madness
    • Even if all you do is pay to churn through the Cycles with properly-spaced Selenes, it only costs you 4 Power to earn 3 Power and a rune. Obviously, it is best to take this gift when you are at a Dying or Waxing Half, so that you can benefit from it ASAP.
  • Mindblast
    • A terrifying prospect for any foe, and this one is just as good on offense as it is on defense.
  • Moonburn
    • Any time you are at Full Moon, watch your enemies scramble and squabble trying to get someone else to pay to knock you off your high horse so that their Temples won't fry. In the meantime, go ahead and fry them.

Recommended Openers[]

Other Notes[]

Story[]

Epilogue

"The sky started to light up as the thing rose up in the sky. On the path below we saw a procession of dancing, twisting folk, dressed in a riot of color. Despite their complex pirouettes, they advanced swiftly. Our chief warrior-woman held up her spear and asked their name and purpose, while I nocked an arrow. The newcomers halted, but spoke no word. The round thing rose higher and became brighter. "The sun has been gone this long age," I whispered to my companion, "what is this thing in the heavens? A replacement? A mockery?" He shook his head. Then we saw them—beings flowing down the shafts of light. First came dozens, then hundreds, then thousands. The dancers began again, faster and faster, while the rest of our soldiers began to scream in psychosis."
—Sandy Petersen

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