The few games I have played (always 4 players) have indicated that early building certainly holds the key to victory - but that victory appears to depend upon the right card turning up at the right time. Having initially established just enough income, we have found that you need to be in the position in the turn order to buy the 17 (Bibliothek) card if it comes up at that crucial very early moment, just when players can afford it. (The 20 (Theatre) would be even better but you might not have enough cash at that early stage. Furthermore, if you then hold-off in the hope of its appearance, you've lost ground if it doesn't.) An early lead on the scoring track should - assuming you don't do anything daft but keep adding to your scoring cards - soon ensure that you establish an initial lead sufficient for there to be absolutely nothing other players can do to overhaul it. This is because - with each scoring being cumulative as opposed to isolated - as each turn passes their score has to be increasingly greater in order to make up the lost ground. In fact, I established that in each of our games if a player had spent 23 on the Academy card right at the start (assuming it came up) and then did nothing else whatsoever that player would be guaranteed to come a good second, well ahead of two players but behind the leader when the aristocrat bonus was added. Spending 23 out of your initial 25 would leave you with too little to take any further part in the game, of course. But it would be interesting to find out what would happen if you bought the 20 Building card at the beginning, which would leave you enough to remain 'in the game' and generate income to buy additional scoring cards. Maybe victory would be guaranteed! But, as I say, whilst I agree that from our games early building seems to hold the key to victory, this all depends upon these particular cards appearing at the crucial time. Probably the game is far better if they don't. Despite our feeling that victory seems to hinge on these crucial cards I greatly enjoy playing the game if only to prove myself wrong, as further games might well easily do. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if other subscribers to this group haven't found a way to deal with this problem. If they have I'd be grateful to know it - preferably by e-mail so that I can add it to my armoury! Back to Table of Contents -- Game! # 10 To Game! List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2004 by George Phillies. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com