Human history actually revolves around the clashes of different civilizations with different values, religions and, above all, technologies. Monumental is a game that gives you the chance to experience it for yourself, and at times it’s a worthwhile ride. I will talk more about this board game in the following paragraphs.
- Number of players: 14
- Game time: 90 – 120 min.
- Price: 2169 CZK (Tlama Games)
- Credit: Asmodee Blackfire
- Age: 14+
Many different civilizations will meet in the Monumental
The collision of two poles is a very frequent occurrence in history. Here Persia was at war with Greece, there the Ottoman Empire was at war with Catholic Europe. However, some potential collisions never happened, which is perhaps a shame. If you’re wondering what it would look like if Denmark fought Japan and pitted the Vikings and Samurai against each other, or China attacked Egypt, Monumental will let you enter a world where these nations are pitted against each other on a map.
Each of the factions goes into battle with a unique building, a knowledge card, and a warlord. For example, in Japan there is a Samurai Training Ground, which is a building through which you generate two troop tokens, which, of course, can only be used when fighting barbarians, but not when invading the surrounding area. China, in turn, can build paper mills, turning a unit of gold into two primary resources of your choice. Her special knowledge card is Pyrotechnics, with which you can archive cards faster than your opponents. Greece, on the other hand, comes with philosophy as part of the lore cards, giving you the ability to swap one base resource for another.
Warlords are the deciding factor for each faction. In the case of Greece, players can count on Hercules, whose ability earns gold for capturing map pieces, while the Japanese warrior Musashi Miyamoto gains science tokens with an expansion. As for me, I was attracted by Siegfried from Denmark, whose aggressive policy is a way to get troop tokens that make him a force to be reckoned with. These red wheels are the key to expanding your territory.
Mining in Monumental is actually very similar to Small World of Warcraft. You are moving your units into enemy territory, or you are moving barbarian-controlled space from an adjacent space. Interestingly, the value of the attackers does not have to be higher than that of the defenders, but it is enough if they are the same. Ordinary soldiers have a strength of one, while generals or heroes go into battle with two points. The terrain, together with the already built fortifications, can play into the hands of the defenders. Those who are prepared are not usually unpleasantly surprised when enemies attack. However, when the enemy gathers a large army, you will be forced to retreat with the troops back to the city.
In addition to ordinary units, there are also scouts, who serve as an element with which you extract raw materials from enemy territory, as well as heroes. Yes, Monumental also has this folder. However, this is an imaginary add-on that, along with a module that adds monsters to the game, advances the overall gameplay. However, as is often the case with these games, it’s definitely not a good idea to add these expansion elements to the game right away during the first campaign.
War is not the only way in Monumental
While at first glance it might seem like Monumental is just a clash of civilizations game, it’s not at all like that. There are more ways to win. Conquest is only one of the four that can be taken. On your turn, you can focus on getting knowledge cards available for science tokens, or on building wonders of the world, which are undoubtedly a worthy source of victory points. The final alternative is to open up new cultural policies based on cultural tokens.
As for all the core resources, gold that can be traded and the aforementioned culture tokens are what you keep. However, in addition to them, at the beginning of each round, you also get a trio of elemental resources that are discarded at the end of the turn, so what you do not spend on science, army or construction simply disappears. The amount of resources you get determines how your city is built, consisting of three cards in three rows, forming a square of three rows. Each round, the activated cards make a profit and then go to the discard pile, after which you add new cards to the pattern. This step actually starts every round, you roll your resources until they are completely depleted, then you move armies and draw new cards into your deck, which is actually the main gameplay factor. Building a deck of city and lore cards, which in turn improve your conditions and add features, is a major factor in the gameplay.
Monumental – a very decent working mix
At first glance, Monumental looks like a part where you just occupy a territory and work with what you have, just like in Small World of Warcraft. However, the reality is more complex. This is where cards play a very important role, with which you really actively work and with their help actually shape the direction in which the game will go. So, to be more precise, they are in many ways a factor in determining the winner.
They do the right thing with raw materials. Overall, I really like the gameplay of Monumental and how different nations you can play as differ from each other. The imaginary icing on the cake is the ability to create your own maps. However, it should be noted that with a larger number of players, the gameplay will be slightly delayed due to the fact that you usually play until the resources run out. Therefore, it is ideal to play with two or three people. Despite this small claim, Monumental is an excellent deal that will definitely be able to interest even fans of more complex board games. This version uses tokens instead of figurines.
Source :Indian TV
