In the half-century after Columbus, small bands of daring Spanish adventurers conquered Central and South America, destroying the huge armies of long-established native empires in the process. Some won great fortunes in gold, while many others only died an early death. These men wereThe Conquistadors. In this partly card-driven, partly procedural game—a brand-new design from Jon Southard—one to five players each control a group of conquistadors, trying to discover and loot the civilizations of the Americas and end up with the most gold and power.

A game ofThe Conquistadorsbegins with the outline of Central and South America asknown in 1520. Your first task will be to seek out and discover the great Indian citiesand empires -- which may appear in their historical locations, or in quite different places.Once you discover where the cities and empires are, it is time to gather gold. Youmight battle and plunder the Indians, or your best plan may be to attempt diplomacy andenlist them as allies -- especially if you have an Indian interpreter in your expedition.Like Francisco Pizarro, you might try a Sudden Shock Attack to capture a native kingand extort a fat ransom. Always you must be sure to keep the Governor happy, or hemay issue a warrant for your arrest. Beware of native uprisings, painted warriors, andpoisoned darts around the next corner, and watch out for defection in your own ranks.If you fall behind in the race for gold, you might try to descend the Amazon or discoverthe Fountain of Youth. And when you are really in a tight place, perhaps you canappeal to Mano de Dios (the Hand of God) to bail you out.

The Conquistadorsis playable by from 1 to 5 players, with an introductory Basic Game,a more involved Standard Game, and some optional rules. While the normal gamesystem requires 2 or more players, solitaire play is enabled by a special solitairemodule.

Product Information:

Complexity:Low to Medium 3/4/5 out of 10 (Basic/Standard/plus Optional Rules)

Solitaire Suitability:High (solitaire scenario), Low (other scenarios)

Time Scale: variable, one turn = 3 to 18 months

Map Scale: abstract, point-to-point area map covers Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru

Unit Scale:Individual leaders, 3 to 25 Spanish troops, up to several thousand Indian troops

Players: one or two

Playing Time:three hours (Basic Game), four to six hours (Standard Game)

Components:

Two Maps – each approximately 28 x 20"

Two Countersheets (5/8” size)

Deck of 130 Strategy/Conquistador CardsDeck of 26 Asset Cards

Rules booklet

Four Player Aid Cards

One Logsheet 8.5” x 11”

Two 6-sided dice

Box and Lid

Game Credits:

Designer: Jon Southard

Compass Games