Illusions of Glory 2nd Edition: Multi-Player Rules
The second edition of Illusions of Glory: The Great War on the Eastern Front (“IoG”) is currently on the P-500 list. Google’s AI says that IoG “features intense back-and-forth fighting for key locations”, is “very replayable”, and “players are advised to use the latest living rules and consider buying the upcoming second edition”.
Unlike its predecessors, IoG has a “National Will system [that] creates a tighter, more direct, and high-stakes ‘death spiral’ where losing key VP locations … causes immediate and punishing drops.” IoG also has a Troop Quality mechanism “to model the degradation of manpower and officer corps” intended as a “key strategic tension to simulate exhaustion”.
IoG’s second edition comes with new multi-player rules. This variant allows you to play the game with two Allied Powers (AP) players opposing one Central Powers (CP) player, two CP players opposing one AP player, or two AP players opposing two CP players. When a single player opposes two players, that player follows the usual two-player rules.
Two AP Players:
One AP player (Player #1) controls Russian (RU) and Romanian (RO) Combat Units. The other AP player (Player #2) controls Italian (IT) and all other AP Combat Units. Only RO Combat Units can stack with RU Combat Units, so there is no risk that AP Player #1 will end up controlling AP Player #2’s
AP Player #1 controls placement of German (GE) Uprising Units, and AP Player #2 controls placement of Austro-Hungarian (AH) Uprising Units.
Each player’s starting hand and Draw Pile varies according to the scenario being played—either the Basic Game or the Brusilov Offensive. In both scenarios, the Draw Pile is shuffled. Four cards are dealt to AP Player #1 and four cards are dealt to AP Player #2. Each AP player can look at cards in the other AP player’s hand at any time.
In odd-numbered AP Action Rounds, AP Player #1 plays a card from his hand or from AP Player #2’s hand (or makes a cardless 1 OPS Point play). In even-numbered AP Action Rounds, AP Player #2 plays a card from his hand or from AP Player #1’s hand (or makes a cardless 1 OPS Point play).
Each AP player controls Movement, Combat, Advance, Retreat After Combat and Strategic Redeployment for his units, and chooses which of his units absorb damage from Combat.
AP Player #1 controls the use of RU RPs. AP Player #2 controls the use of IT RPs and AP-A RPs.
Two CP Players:
One CP Player (Player #1) controls AH Combat Units. The other CP Player (Player #2) controls all other CP Combat Units.
CP Player #1 controls placement of RU Uprising Units.
Each player’s starting hand and Draw Pile varies according to the scenario being played—either the Basic Game or the Brusilov Offensive. In both scenarios, the Draw Pile is shuffled. Four cards are dealt to CP Player #1 and four cards are dealt to CP Player #2. Each CP player can look at cards in the other CP player’s hand at any time.
In odd-numbered CP Action Rounds, CP Player #1 plays a card from his hand or from CP Player #2’s hand (or makes a cardless 1 OPS Point play). In even-numbered CP Action Rounds, CP Player #2 plays a card from his hand or from CP Player #1’s hand (or makes a cardless 1 OPS Point play).
Each CP player controls Movement, Combat, Advance, Retreat After Combat and Strategic Redeployment for his units, and chooses which of his units absorb damage from Combat.
CP Player #1 controls other CP units stacked with his AH units until those units are no longer stacked with his. This includes controlling Movement, Combat, Advance, Retreat After Combat, Strategic Redeployment, and which units absorb damage from Combat.
CP Player #1 controls the use of AH RPs. CP Player #2 controls the use of GE and CP-A RPs.
If Austria-Hungary collapses, CP Player #1 controls all non-GE Combat Units and CP Player #2 controls all GE Combat Units.
The multi-player variant distinguishes IoG from similar CDGs of this historical period. Enjoy this “heavyweight wargame with a great design”.