Strongest Gameplay: Blood Rage Strongest Theme: Rising Sun Strongest Hit To My Wallet: Ankh

The major thing I noticed about Ankh is that it is an area control game in the same way Chess or Go is: it is a strategy game that rewards you for planning multiple moves ahead and knowing exactly what your opponent is going to do. This is reinforced with gods like Thoth and Horus. This is definitely not a brawler.

Never had a problem with the merge, I agree it's a great catch-up mechanic. Told people about it before we started and told them if two players are looking like they're going to merge I would tell them to start strategizing right away. Out of my 9 times playing with 3-4 players, the merged players won 3 times. The other times were either close or the merged players didn't strategize until they merged. I lost in one game to the merged players and seeing them smile and give a high-five at the end did put a smile on my face even though I lost. Edit: I highly recommend to people to NOT remove the merge mechanic. At the end of the game, only 1 can win (Beside the merged players.). The merge gives the last players a chance to catch up and win, it doesn't matter if you're in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place, being 1st gets you the win, that is it. By removing the merge the 2 players in last place will most likely never win since the chances of catching up are pretty low. If you take it away, they’re stuck playing the rest of the game knowing they’re going to lose and that is no fun.

We need Ankh (with Pharaoh expansion) VS Blood Rage!

I ordered the retail copy of game today. Had watched your pledge unboxing with a very special guest :) and now I see your full review being posted! From the rules teach, it seems to be the most straightforward in terms of rules explanation and “chess like” at 2P, excited to get my hands on it!

It is a fun little game but it receives a lot more leeway because of his stunning aestethics. The gaming experience is overall a positive and fun one, yet in certain areas lackluster. Many people complain and this review touches on it too, that god special abilities are not impactful enough and that the god powers track is too generic. I believe this comes down to personal taste. I find the special abilities impactful enough that they will get used a few times in the game, but not game breaking enough that they enforce you to play a certain strategy with a certain god. I like fluid strategy games where u adapt to the conditions of each game (opponent moves, board state, resources you control, etc...) to ones that force each player on a certain path dictated by busted special abilities of characters/races/factions/nations/cities whatever. The main problem I have with the game is that it is very poorly balanced in terms of it's economy engine (aka the followers). And that is the compounding effect of several things. 1) there aren't enough outlets to spend them. You have the tech tree where you will spend a total of 12 followers for the entire game, the locus card, and build monuments, And then you buy vps with them in the last conflict phase (or last 2) 2) The first row of god powers empowers followers actions too much. Especially the build monuments for free (most busted power in the game). Now this one problem that may seem rather minor at first causes a whole lot of issues: 1. Not needing to spend them or having alternative ways to gain them, makes the take followers action the most useless and underused past the first 1 or 2 event phases. 2. Not having enough outlets to take them out of the game makes it so you can max out on the tech tree super fast (somewhere in mid game). 3. Due to the above two reasons, you are basically left with 2 real actions for almost half the game 4. You can't use locus of corruption aggresively to force your opponents out of the coins they need to build a monument in an area that is resolved later, because they prob have the power that lets them build it for free. 5. The game looses on the epicness of the "grand finale" because in the last conflict when the winner is decided (which with all groups I played was always the one before the player elimination would take place) the game devolves into a VP buy race. Absolutely everybody I played Ankh with quickly realized that the best way to make safe points end game is to get the power that lets you pay 2 followers to gain 1 devotion at the end of a battle you were involved in and spread in all regions. And because you are missing those outlets that funnel the followers out of the economy, I have seen nobody that could not afford to pay for the power in each battle they are involved in yet. As for the merge mechanic, not a big fan of it. I think it is a step in the right direction. Forcing players that realistically have zero chances of winning to sit at the table for said period of time while the top 2 players fight it out is not engaging and fun for anybody, especially when the only thing those players can do is play kingmaker. And while the merge system alleviates that to a certain degree, it just feels like a family friendly player elimination type thing. What I noticed ends up happening is the player whose god ascends becomes the dominant player while the other guy just tags along. Step in the right direction, can be improved on. I haven't played with all the gods yet, but as far as the tech tree goes in it's current state, there are certain powers I will default to with every god (apart if he has a super niche power). The first column has the build monument for free which I touched on already, the second row has the summon one additional unit near each of your pyramids and the third row has the pay 2 followers for 1 vp. I don't really see myself not choosing them in any given game. Despite all of this, I did find the game enjoyable enough and all the flaws tolerable mainly because it is a short game (we finished all games under 2hrs - with smoke breaks) and it looks gorgeous and it's egyptian themed (personal bias). I just wish they would have tested it more and addressed the balance the economy system better. All my other complains would just be me nitpicking if the follower system would be a bit more polished. Sorry for the long post. I really enjoyed the video and agree with all of your points. Except the comparison to Tigris. That game is a masterpiece. Ankh is not there in it's current form.

Having the Kickstarter version we are going to house rule use more of the Guardians in each game. 3 Different level one, 2 different level 2, and 2 different level 3. Then see if it is too much, but everyone wants to do it at my house.

Thank you for all your videos!

I believe you'll think the game is a 5 once you play with the Pharoah expansion. It adds the variability you feel you miss with limited ankh powers and guardians.

Thank you Sir! Great video.

I was waiting for this one for a while

Thanks for the review!

One play in and I really like it. Can’t wait to get the translation kit so I can read the cards and rules of my copy! … I was one of the unfortunate souls that got a French edition instead of English because of a glitch in the pledge manager… thankfully a friend it too!

Each consecutive release in this trilogy became more strategic and less chaotic. Ankh is the pinnacle of crunchiness in my opinion without feeling fun killing and stressful. It's all about positioning and using your resources efficiently rather than getting things that make you more efficient. In the end, you don't feel as powerful but once you have an amazing conflict round, you yourself feel like the god. Truly satisfying in its own right but you have to work for it.

I think they could have used followers for monument stealing. Like you trigger the monument, you wanna steal from someone, and you bid followers to see who wins. It’s like a mini conflict and works thematically.

Great review, thanks. Am a big Tigris & Euphrates fan. I don’t have Blood Rage… will have to consider it now!

Finally got this to the table played with the pharaoh expansion.. with the expansion I think you really really like this game… the merge was great and added fantastic tension

This game is a masterpiece.

You might like Pharoah expansion. It reduces the number crunchyness and adds power and abilities by adding acquirable ability cards to the game. Number crunchiness reduced as you cant factor in the opponents new cards in calculation, it adds an unknown element. Your in for a treat with that expansion.

I love blood rage but after a couple of playthroughs this tops it. So much easier to teach, so much more streamlined, nothing really to memorize. You need a experienced and knowing group to really enjoy blood rage. If you don't know the synnergies you're screwed. Here all the info is visible and it's more about probabilities and playing your opponent. Looking forward to more games and getting beat by players sitting down at the table for the first time. Expensive but definitely a 5.

I also like Ankh more than Blood Rage ^^ Thanks for the review!

Great review that really hits on many of the sticky points of Ankh. I've only played three times, once each at at 3, 4, and 5 players. At 5 the merge did very little (although Isis might have had something to do with that) while at 4 the Merge won and 3 was very close. Looking forward to more plays, but I'm suspecting that 5 might not be the best player count. Some people I've played with hated the merge, but they're also gamers that are good at area control games. This might be a thing. :D Thanks!

Nice review, I suppose the area control game are the BG that you enjoy more followed by work worker placement, is it correct? In any case I will find this game at the retail I didn't back this one with a bit of regret but I had other priorities back then (not related to boardgames)

I've only got one play in so far, but I REALLY liked it. I can't wait to get its to the table again, and I'm excited to try the Pharoah expansion. I'm not sure if I'm going to like this more than Rising Sun, but I think I'll like it more than Blood Rage

Ha!, i think you convinced me that my initial decision not to back this was the right one.

I agree that Ankh rivals Blood Rage. These two games, along with another Lang game- The Godfather, easily round out my top 3 whereas 10-15 games fight for the remaining 7 spots in my top 10. This game looks very intimidating, but it really is so easy to learn and to teach. I love the action selection mechanism and how it drives the conflicts and events. The art and the minis are top notch, and every battle is tense without being overwhelming. The merge, while unorthodox, makes this game truly unique. Each play has been down the wire, and the merge has proven to be a great catch up mechanism that keeps the lowest players engaged. It provides a big boost, although there's a lot of ground to make up. It's much preferred over games that can snowball and the players in last watch helplessly, and it's not so overpowered that the merged players always win. They struck that balance beautifully, and it's thematic with Egyptian beliefs of syncretism.

My group has 2 plays of this so far, one with 4 players and one with 3. Both times the merged players ended up winning. When we had 4 players, the end was very close and at the last conflict each player thought they had the win. But with 3 player, the merged team just began to dominate, and the other player felt completely helpless. He came to the conclusion that if he were to ever play again, he would intentionally keep himself last since that seemed to be the best way to win.

I also am a person who loves different skills and powers in a game, but there is a very huge drawback to it. For instance, if you have played Heroes of Land, Air and Sea, you will find a whopping 10 different races. Each playable race has 5 buildings with 3 abilities each, as you upgrade your capital to a higher tier and 3 heroes with 3 abilities each that also get unlocked as you upgrade. Granted, they aren't that major (although sometimes they are) for the most part, you will find yourself in a situation where you cannot make solid decisions based on all of the information. This slugs down the game, as players are constantly asking "so what does your hero do" or "do you have any bonus with your army right now". Different powers and abilities make a game diverse, but they do feel like a chore sometimes and I do feel that sometimes players need more of an even field, in order to play out a strategy game.

I missed the KS and I was sad. I picked up a still-in-the-box eternal pledge from my FLGS with Black Friday discounts for $262 and I am now happy.

Personally I loved this game. I know some people hate the merge, but I haven’t had issues with it. Plus you can just house rule to not do it. Not a huge deal.

I think the Pharaoh expansion wil give you a more of craziness and powers you probably missing, the first few plays it will feel a little bit of messy and more AP prone but after a few plays you will only play vanilla Ankh with new players.

Ankh is good really good. Hathor is strong really strong 😂 Pharaoh is a must. I prefer to play with Pharaoh 👍

Any updates on play this not that of Ankh vs Blood Rage? Looking forward to your input.

Perhaps an umfair comparison but if someone has room for only one Eqyptian themed dudes on a board game, would you choose Ankh or Kemet BnS?

When would this hit retail? Looks like I may want an expansion later on…

Have you played Cthulhu Wars. That's my fav area control game.

This one edges out Blood Rage for me, depending on player count. At 2 and 4, it is better. At 3, I prefer Blood Rage. Ankh is just so streamlined. The teach is also easier for Ankh, and it is not as dependent on previous plays/knowledge to do well.

The more you play Ankh, the better it gets. I think it beats blood rage and inis for me!! Can't wait to play it again and trust me, every time you play this u get more rewarded I don't know how to explain that, but I guess u understand what I'm trying to say!

may i ask what table you are sitting at in this video? 😊

I was on the fence about how much I like this game but you actually convinced me it's a good game 😂. When you do a where are they now you should mention if the pharoah expansion fixes your critiques.

Blood Rage really is due for an expansion. After playing 7 times it has gotten very very old for us. We feel like we’ve seen it all. It desperately needs more cards

Between this one and kemet? Which would you choose if you had to

The one time the merge left a sour taste in my mouth was when in a game i got to play against sobek-anubis. Way too overpowered, couldn' contest in a single region.

I'm considering buying this or Kemet, but still can't decide. I still prefer aesthetically and thematically Rising Sun, BUT I'd like to add an Egyptian theme game. Any suggestions?

For me, I think Ankh is the best of the trio. I have played many times but the only thing I am not a fan of is the what we call "power ankhing" which leads to the asymmetric minions being lost out so that the starting players get choice of the guardians. Still a great game.

Alex now: Base game 4.5 out of 5 (after playing with Pharaoh expansion) Future Alex: 5.5 out of 5!! 😄

Does not beat Blood Rage, all I needed to hear sadly. Nothing beats my lovely Bloody. Still my most play game by far. Really excited for whatever they are planning for it. Second Edition or an expansion? I would love more an expansion definetly.

Is there a solo mode?

Blood rage is the best of the series imo too.

I love the game

FINALLY!!!!!

I'm very sorry to say I have now also dreamt about you... You showed me a videogame (🤷) and then I disturbed you with your recording light on and you were quite annoyed😂 I think I might need some help🤔

i agree 999% with the review but I think is much better than blood rage(easily you can have all the trilogy in your collection different games) from my first play I realize that the action selection has the feeling of Puerto Rico and the other part of the game has the feeling of TIGRIS and EUPHRATES. The merge mechanic works great but you need some plays to realize how it works......... i don't agree that is half elimination i think is depends form how the players work together!

Only played ankh in this series. We played this game about 10 times now with diffrent setups etc. We love this game but it will lose its power when playing over and over.

Ankh is indeed a good game (I've played it 4 times, with the same 3 people). Still, Blood Rage The Tavern Edition is more fun. Try and see by yourself readers. We also prefer Cyclades with Hades and Titans or Root over Ankh.

I love this game, but I did play it with 5 once and the people who merged were woefully behind and it killed the experience for those two players, and I felt kind of bad. I never got merged so I can't say if it would hurt my experience or not, I think it sounds fun to become a super god, but if you're 2nd last and get sent way back I can see that being frustrating. I think with new players I would do the scenario that has no merge, I don't want that divisive mechanic ruining someone's first experience with a game that I think is great. I would play with merge with experienced players who all agree to use it. I think it's very cool that they have a scenario without merge, so you don't technically have to house rule it.

Plastic fantastic...

4.5 so its like a 9/10? or 45 out of 50? lol

For a price of 110$ i am disappointed for the quality tbh. the devotion and event board is basically thin "paper" and not as the map board. And why are the followers from papper? In rising sun the coins are plastic. As quality goes Its a demote if u compare it with rising sun.

First again and again !!!

Regardless of opinion on Merge, I'm still looking to sell my copy as I want nothing to do with it when I could just play Blood Rage and have a fun time. Any time you want something to be good, it's just a cover for it sucking.

Whilst I thoroughly enjoy Ankh it's not as good as Blood Rage. I love every aspect of Blood Rage but Ankh has a few design decisions that strike me as off: linking guardian acquisition to Ankh powers is nuts and makes the guardian/Ankh power rush hard to beat. This also means that turn order becomes a real issue as the person in first will probably unlock all of their powers first and get a guardian at each level, whereas other players may not get a single one. Also, move and recruit are in that order so you can't put in more figure on the board before moving but the gain followers (currency) action is before the Ankh power (spend currency) action.

A question for you that love Bloodrage that much, don't you see that the draft on Bloodrage is completely unbalanced? Some strats are not worth it at all :/ A new deck of cards would fix the game for me

I like your reviews but you speak a bit too fast sometimes for non-native English speakers. And beside the understanding it is kind of tiring, like a run. I personally would prefer a more peaceful speed.

For me: Rising Sun: 9/10 Kemet: 8.5/10 Blood Rage: 8/10 Ankh: 7/10 The merge is probably the only mechanism in Ankh that is fun and interesting. The worst mechanism from Ankh is the static player order resulting in 2 players monopolising all the guardians and no one being able to do anything against it. Even though the guardians doesn’t offer that much benefits - just having more figures on the board makes you much better off. It makes the game feel unfair and therefore unfun. The merger won all 3 of the games we’ve played though, at 3, 4 and 5 players.

I really don't like the merge and I don't like the turn based actions where at higher player counts it is possible not to get to do any of the primarily important actions because of turn order....

The merger mechanism is a deal breaker for me. So much so that I am not even willing to play it. PS I have and love both Blood Rage and Rising Sun PS2 I would have totally bought it for the minis + the Egypt theme But the merger. No. Hell no.

would you say the game is such different that i need it even if i own BLOOD RAGE (icl. every KS stuff)? cause it seems very similar to me thx alot