Obsidian Empires: Warfare in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica

Obsidian Empires is a tabletop miniature wargame set in the colorful and dynamic Pre-Columbian world of Mesoamerica. Focusing on the Post-Classic period, the rules and armies in this book give you all you need to play games set during the rise and domination of the Triple Alliance all the way to the arrival of the Spanish. With gameplay that is intuitive and easy to learn, any player can jump right in and start their journey through this lush time period and setting, and the rules allow for great creativity in scenarios and campaigns. Simple enough for new players to grasp but also complex enough to entice veteran gamers, Obsidian Empires use a novel mechanic to represent battles in the time period: Focusing on the Core Forces mechanic, Mesoamerican armies all have a common pool of Units that they can utilize, but each specific Faction brings unique bonuses, strategies, and sometimes, unique Units that make each Faction distinct. Gameplay is also kinetic, there is no sitting around here, and all players are active in each and every Step of the game. Each roll is meaningful, and with a focus on a single die for most rolls, there is no time wasted counting dice or figuring out needlessly complex formulas. The book includes army lists and special rules for: Aztec (Triple Alliance) the largest empire in central Mexico, this Faction emphasizes melee and close-quarter battles, but due to their military expertise, they can bring forces in from flanking maneuvers, and due to their size, they even have a free Unit to capture their dense population. Purepecha the second largest empire to the west of the Aztecs, the Purepecha were famed for their keen-eyed marksmen, utilizing range combat to stymie their foes, but each Purepecha bow was so well-constructed, it could even act as a weapon in melee. Tlaxcala An isolated City State to the East of the Triple Alliance, after years of warfare, the Tlaxcala were bitter enemies of the Aztecs. Renowned for their fervor in combat, they relied on a balanced force that could maximize advantages both from afar and close. Huastec a City State of Mayan descent to the Northeast of the Triple Alliance near to what is today known as the Gulf of Mexico. The Huastec have been slowly losing their southern territories to the Aztecs, but their tenacity and expertise with spears is legendary. They were steadfast fighters that would rather die on their feet than flee than the enemy. Spanish the first Europeans to begin the task of conquering, colonizing, and converting the native population, the Spanish were often outnumbered hundreds to one, but thanks to their Tlaxcala allies, they were able to utilize the advantages of gunpowder, steel, and horses. Unlike other forces, the Spanish did not fight to claim captives but rather to seek gold and glory. —description from the publisher