Sea Empire

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

Components

Empire

Setup
Shrine in the Brown Sea. Start with 6 Power.
Unique Ability
Submerge (Action: Cost 0; One-Use): Select a land area (except Kylerela or the Spike) and place your Sunken Land token on it. That area is a sea area for the rest of the game. All sea crossing arrows leading to and from that area are now invalid. When you place the Sunken Land token, you may also summon a unit in that area for free (you may not place the Churner, Magasta unless the Spike has shattered).
Unique Weakness
Marine (Ongoing): You may not use the sea-crossing arrows.
Heroquests
First Fragment
Conquer a building in the Skydome or Hell, or destroy a building with a cost of 2 or more. Earn 1 Rune.		Place your Ziggurat. Earn 1 Rune.
Second Fragment
The Chaos Rift is closed. Earn 1 Rune. Also, if Chaos is in play, both sea & Chaos earn an additional Rune at this time.		No sea serpents are in your unit pool. Earn 1 Rune.
Third Fragment
The Chaos Rift is closed. Earn 1 Rune.		Summon the Churner, Magasta. Earn 1 Rune.
Gifts
File:Gift - Sea (Aquatic).png	Aquatic (Power Phase): Gain Power equal to the Cost of the most expensive building in any sea area. If the most expensive building is a Ziggurat, also gain a Rune.
File:Gift - Sea (Constrict).png	Constrict (Post-Battle): For every Sea Serpent present in a battle, you may turn 2 rolled Routs (of either side's results) into a Kill.
File:Gift - Sea (Drowning).png	Drowning (Post-Battle): If The Kraken is involved in a battle in which enemy units are killed, your enemy loses 1 VP and you gain 1 VP.
File:Gift - Sea (Siren Song).png	Siren Song (Ongoing): Enemy players must spend 1 VP in addition to the usual 1 Power to move units out of an area containing a Mermaid.
File:Gift - Sea (Tidal Surge).png	Tidal Surge (Action: Cost 2): Select a sea area adjacent to at least one land area. Move all units in that sea area (including your own) to adjacent land areas.
File:Gift - Sea (Whirlpool).png	Whirlpool (Ongoing): When you reach 0 Power, all other empires lose 1 Power.

Units

Mortal Minions
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Gifts
File:Mermaid (Painted).png	Mermaid	4	1	1	Siren Song
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x4)
Mortal Heros
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Gifts
File:The Kraken (Painted).png	The Kraken	1	3	3	Drowning
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
Lesser Gods
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Gifts
File:Sea Serpent (Painted).png	Sea Serpent	3	2	1	Constrict
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x3)
Greater Gods
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Gifts
File:The Churner, Magasta (Painted).png	The Churner, Magasta	1	4 (the Spike must have been shattered)	1 when Chaos Rift exists, 3 once Magasta's Pool appears
		The Mer-King (Ongoing): You may take successive actions in a row, so long as each action originates in a sea area. For example, you could move from the Brown Sea to the Togaro Ocean, then attack in the Togaro, then move survivors from Togaro to a land area.
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)

Buildings

Buildings
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Gifts
File:Shrine Figure - Sea (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 - Sea (Painted).png	Temple	3	2+Shrine (or 1+Shrine after Magasta's Pool is in play)	+1 Rout
		Valor (Council Phase & Ongoing): Each temple adds 1 to the total commitment during the Chaos Rift Struggle. Also, the cost drops once Magasta's Pool is in play.
		Availability: [Token] The Empires {TGW-1} (x3) [Figure] The Buildings {TGW-4} (x3)
		The Temple figure replaces the Temple token.
File:Ziggurat Figure - Sea (Painted).png	Ziggurat	1	3+Temple (or 1+Temple after Magasta's Pool is in play)	+1 Kill
		Valor (Council Phase & Ongoing): Adds 2 to the total commitment during the Chaos Rift Struggle. Also, the cost drops once Magasta's Pool is in play.
		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
File:Earth Queen - Sea (Painted).png	Earth Queen	1	2	1, OR 0 vs. Earth Empire
			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 Drowner, Wachaza (Painted).png	The Drowner, Wachaza	1	0/3	2
		To Summon: When the Spike shatters, immediately place Wachaza at any of your buildings. You may also summon him by paying 3 Power.
		Suicide Cult (Ongoing): If Wachaza is in play while the Chaos Rift is open, when a player places a building or a unit into the Rift, he must place a building or unit that costs at least 2 Power, if possible.
		File:Gift - The Drowner, Wachaza.png	Heroquest: The Chaos Rift closes. Death Legacy (Ongoing): Place Wachaza in Magasta's Pool. From now on, add his combat dice to all your battles (except for battles involving a lone building). If the Rift re-opens, relocate Wachaza to any sea area, then remove this Gift until the Rift closes again.
		Availability: War Gods {TGW-5} (x1)
		The Drowner, brutish sea god of who wields the bone trident of death. Thanks to his stern and forceful nature, the Chaos Rift was eventually closed, and his power still looms balefully over any battle at sea.
File:Lifegiver, Triolina.png File:Lifegiver, Triolina (Painted).png	Lifegiver, Triolina	1	2	1
		To Summon: A Sea Greater God must be in the Sky Dome; place Triolina in the Brown Sea
		Proteus (Pre-Battle): If Triolina is in play, you may select one of your units involved in the battle and replace it with any other unit from your pool, paying the cost difference in Power (or gaining it, if the new unit is cheaper). You must be able to pay any cost.
		File:Gift - Lifegiver, Triolina.png	Heroquest: Triolina is in play and no Mermaids are in your pool. Polymorph (Pre-Battle): If Triolina is in play and you are involved in a battle, you may select an enemy unit in the battle and replace it with any other unit from that empire's pool. That empire pays the cost difference in Power (or gains the difference if the new unit is cheaper). If your enemy cannot pay the cost difference, you cannot choose that unit.
		Availability: Magic Gods {TGW-6} (x1)
		The sea has many varieties of life – far more than the land or air. This is due to the influence of Triolina, who takes a million forms. Her matings populate the deep sea, the coral reefs, and the blue-lit shores.
File:Keeper of Wisdom, Daliath.png File:Keeper of Wisdom, Daliath (Painted).png	Keeper of Wisdom, Daliath	1	0/3	2
		To Summon: When you earn your 3rd empire gift, immediately place Daliath at any of your buildings. You may also summon him by paying 3 Power.
		The Unknown Depths (One-Time, then Ongoing): Take a number of Runes off the top of the deck equal to the number of players x2. Place these Runes facedown to one side. When any player earns a Rune, examine them and choose which of these he receives. Do this each instance until they are gone.
		File:Gift - Keeper of Wisdom, Daliath.png	Heroquest: Daliath is in play; as your action for a round, select another player. That player earns 4 VPs. Acid Baths (Ongoing): If Daliath is in play, any units you kill in battle are placed on Daliath's card. When units equal to the total number of players are on the card, return them all to their owner's pools.
		Availability: Secret Gods {TGW-7} (x1)
		The keeper of wisdom, the god who rules the Baths of Nelat, which purge and dissolve, but then give the deep secret knowledge only learned from Daliath – wisest of Gods.

Other components

Other components
Image	Component	Quantity	Notes
	Empire Sheet	1
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
File:Victory-Power Marker - Sea (Painted).png	Victory/Power Marker	2
		Notes: Used for Submerge.
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x2)
	Sunken Land Token	1
		Availability: The Empires {TGW-1} (x1)
	Chaos Rift Die	1
		Notes: Used for the Chaos Rift Struggle.
		Availability: Chaos Rift Dice {TGW-DICE-3} (x1)

Strategy

Faction Strategy

Heroquests - You have many conflicting tasks to accomplish in order to achieve your Heroquests. You have to destroy a building, you need to train costly units, and you are obsessed with the Chaos Rift as is Chaos itself. One major decision you'll need to make is whether to use your one-time Submerge on summoning Magasta or your Kraken. Sometimes you may even want just a Sea Serpent, to complete your collection.

Rune Acquisition - You earn runes earlier that other players, so use this to seize an early advantage and then hold on to that edge for dear life. Once you've achieved your Heroquests, runes will trickle in much more slowly. Your units have abilities that annoy and menace your opponents, who will generally (and helpfully) try to avoid you.

Closed Rift - Once the Rift is closed, your Aquatic boost plummets unless enemy buildings are also in the sea. After all, your Ziggurat now only costs 1 Power. Magasta has a fabulous ability, but you will need to plan carefully in order to use it to maximum effect. One easy technique is to use it to slingshot an army across the world into an enemy's territory. Another is to join together units from multiple oceans.

Gift Strategies

• Aquatic
  • You can use your Submerge ability to plunge a tasty enemy Ziggurat underwater, thus gaining 3 Power every turn from then on.
• Constrict
  • Combine with Drowning to ensure a kill in every battle.
• Drowning
  • A key source of VP in the late game; because it doesnt just give you a VP but actually drains one from an enemy, it is better than it might seem at first glance.
• Siren Song
  • Locks down an enemy in a most gratifying way. Weak foes dare not flee your attacks, which feeds into your Drowning/Constrict engine.
• Tidal Surge
  • Opens up an area to conquer a building or to simply scatter your enemies. Unlike a rout, you can scatter enemy units into different and inconvenient areas.
• Whirlpool
  • Most empires try to hang on to their Power for as long as they can. With Whirlpool you are usually happy to be the first to run out, and the groans of your opponents are delightful.
  • If you have a Power-giving rune, you can time it so you drop to 0 Power a second time in that turn to double-dip! Enemies hate that.

Story

Epilogue

"It rose up over the beach like a mountain. Everyone ran for the highlands, but as we looked behind we saw that this would be no salvation. Even the rivers were now running uphill, the wrong way. As we peered helplessly into the green, transparent water, we saw huge creatures swimming in it, peering back at us."
—Sandy Petersen