Baltic Empires: The Northern Wars of 1558-1721

In 1558 the Teutonic Order collapsed suddenly and left a power vacuum in the Baltic region that most of its neighbors sought to take advantage of. The resulting tumultuous century and a half first saw Sweden rise from humble beginnings to build an impressive empire encompassing most of the Baltic shore, followed by the decline of this same empire along with those of Denmark and Poland-Lithuania, the humble origins of Prussia, and then finally the emergence of Russia onto the world stage as a major power in 1721 with the end of the Great Northern War. The balance of power in Northeastern Europe was forever changed.

Baltic Empires is a game for two to five players about great power competition in the Baltic Sea region from 1558 to 1721. Each player controls a regional Power (Denmark-Norway, Sweden, Russia, Poland-Lithuania, and Brandenburg-Prussia) aiming to establish hegemony over the region.

The game board represents the Baltic Sea region, separated into land areas (called Provinces) and sea areas. Each Province may contain icons showing what kind of infrastructure (Cities, Workshops, and Customs Houses) can be built in the area, what kinds of Goods are produced in the area, and if the Province is an important Trade Center with the maritime powers of Western Europe.

Players will build up their economy by improving infrastructure to increase the local production and by ensuring that they (the central royal authority) get a bigger share of the money (Thalers) and Goods that are generated throughout their realms. This increased revenue can then be used for defense against your neighbor’s ambitions, military expansion, further buildup of the economy, strengthening the central royal authority, and for recruiting key persons of the era to assist you politically, militarily, and by instituting social and technological developments. In addition to the five player-controlled Powers, the game includes major non-player Independent Powers on the fringes of the Baltic region: the Habsburg and Ottoman Empires and the Maritime Powers (Britain and the Netherlands), that sought to secure their interests and maintain the balance of power in the Baltic.

Highlights: Five asymmetric factions with unique abilities and objectives; A highly thematic deck of historical Dramatis Personae to constitute your royal court; A simple yet deep economic system that forces players to make tough decisions regarding their finances and wage war for key resources; A streamlined battle system based on custom dice per unit type; Variable player counts, from 2 to 5 players, and variable game lengths, with scenarios ranging from a tight duel to a diplomatic heavy conflict with alliances and betrayals.

• 1 mounted mapboard
• 5 full-color countersheets
• 59 regular sized playing cards
• 119 embossed wooden discs
• 5 player mats
• 5 player aids
• 1 Rulebook
• 1 Playbook
• 9 custom 6-sided dice