Through the Ages Fan Site

Get ready to build a civilization that will thrive through the ages.

In this game, each player develops a civilization from Antiquity to the present, striving to leave a lasting impression on history. Your civilization scores culture points for its influence on world affairs through literature, drama, religion, wondrous constructions, and great leaders.

Initially, all civilizations are the same, but the choices you make will swiftly differentiate yours from the others. It is up to you to decide if you will make your mark by encouraging the arts, by plundering weaker rivals, or by building fast food franchises. At the end of the game, the player with the most culture points wins. …

Player Board

Your player board is the main part of your player area. To set it up:

• Choose a color.
• Put the player board in that color on the table in front of you. Around it, leave plenty of space into which your civilization can grow.

Player Pieces

Each player takes a set of 7 wooden pieces in his or her color. Before the first game, you may decorate them with the stickers provided.

Tactics Standard

This piece marks the current tactic being used by a civilization's military forces. …

Decks

There are two types of cards - civil cards and military cards. We already know some civil cards: All the initial technologies printed on your player board are Age A civil cards. The military cards will enter the game later.

Separate the cards into eight decks according to their backs. Your first game will be shorter and not very militant. To ensure that, you need to adjust the decks:

• Return both Age III decks to the box. Your first game will have one age less than the full game.
• From the Age I and II military decks use only the following cards:

  • Events and territories (green cards, with the jST symbol in the upper right corner) …

Age III

In the full game, Age III is a full age like Ages I and II. After resolving the end of Age II, shuffle the Age III civil and military decks and place them on the current age board as the new current age decks. The game continues for another age.

Age IV is the game-ending age. This works like the game-ending age in your first game:

• When the Age III civil deck runs out, Age II cards in hand are discarded, Age II leaders, unfinished wonders, and pacts are removed from play. Each player loses 2 yellow tokens. Age IV begins. It has no current age decks.
• If Age IV begins during the first player's turn, it is the last round. Otherwise, the following round is the last round.

Age III Wonders

Age III wonders have a one-time effect that is resolved as soon as they are completed. You score a certain number of culture points based on your other cards and workers in play. …