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Merv Strategy Game: The Heart of the Silk Road – 1 to 4 players

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14.85€ – Ludum

A very good price for this very good game! At €49.9 in red dot at philibert…. At €47.08 on Amazon

At the heart of the Silk Road, amass wealth and power while helping the city of Merv build its defenses against the approaching Mongols.

note 7.5 on BGG
DDOR 2021 Selection

In Merv: Heart of the Silk Road, players vie for power and wealth in the prosperous city. Through careful court intrigue, timely donations to the Grand Mosque, and lucrative trade deals, players attempt to personally benefit from this prosperity.

Meanwhile, beyond the city walls, Mongol hordes are approaching. Help build the city walls and you give up valuable opportunities to increase your influence, but leave it unprotected and you will burn with the city. Every decision is fraught, and the consequences of every misstep are dire.

Will you rise to prominence or fade into obscurity?

• from 14 years old
• 1 to 4 players
• 90 min approx.

Merv is a management and economics game which depicts the golden age and fall of the great city of Merv.

You play there traders who exploited the Silk Road in search of power and wealth. To achieve your goals, you will have to navigate court intrigues, occasionally give money to the Great Mosque and conclude lucrative deals. But be careful because The Mongol threat is never far from the city walls. ! Help build defenses, build your reputation, and keep the city from burning… Every decision you make will impact the rest of the game, and a misstep can cost you dearly! Will you shine or will you end up in oblivion?

Merv takes place in three yearswhich represents 12 turns for each player. Each year has an action and scoring phase, during which you score points based on the courtiers present in the palace, the buildings in the city, your scrolls and goods, and your progress on the Mosque track. During the last two years, the Mongols attack the city during the Invasion phase: it's up to you to prepare the ramparts as best you can for this event!

The pros:

• two specific game modes for playing in pairs or solo
• ideal for reflection lovers
• tense games thanks to the Mongol invasions

Content :

• 1 marker
• 20 walls
• 12 camels
• 36 buildings
• 40 discs
• 60 resource cubes
• 4 Master meeples
• 32 Servant meeples
• 24 Caravan cards
• 18 Contract cards
• 6 Solo cards
• 1 game board
• 24 construction sites
• 1 camel market
• 16 Breakthrough
• 10 Improvement
• 4 Score tiles
• 32 Parchment
• 48 Good

Reviews & Test

“Lots of possibilities and a real headache in terms of optimizing investments to generate maximum resources.” (Epic & Colegram)

“A great, solid, original and balanced expert management game with lots of interactions and replayability! (y)”(Penelope Gaming)

“Absolutely perfect mechanics, nothing sticks out, everything is superbly well orchestrated” (Geeklette)

“a multi-lane, intersecting depth, pushing the strategy to its climax.” (Geektest)

“Merv is a big favorite at the start of the year” (Vind'jeu)

“I really enjoyed the originality of Merv's action mechanics.” (Backgammon)

“The game is beautiful, the mechanics are simpler than they seem and are well integrated into the theme.” (Geekbequois)

“This is a Very Good for Merv the game…which will ask you to take on a challenge that matches your gaming requirements as an outstanding manager.” (Ludigamme)

“The game's core mechanics are original. (…) good replayability (…). Beautiful, very colorful illustrations, masterfully done by Ian O'Toole. (…). the theme is present.” (Time paradox)

“Merv is quick to learn, easy to understand, but with a lot of strategy. […] We can only thank Atalia for locating it.” (Millennium Station)

“We really liked the fluidity of the game once the game started, with lots of ingenious little mechanisms that were well-integrated, without it being cumbersome.” (Ludo the guy)

“An expert game, but offering short games for the genre, it is not only striking for its careful editing, but also for its depth of reflection.” (Unification France)

“A good big game that will stimulate all your neurons! Surprising with an original action trigger mechanism.” (Themed games)

“A good game that requires intellectual investment and is visually very beautiful once placed on the table.” (Gui.lereverend)

“My God, I love this kind of game… so restrictive. Optimize, optimize, optimize!! It's all the more magnificent because it's good. Each element has its place, in my opinion.” (The Beautiful Game)

“A good management and optimization game, very well put together! The material immerses us very well in the universe and the original game mechanics are very enjoyable.”(Actualiteludique)

“A great discovery.” (A Meeple Day)

“We wouldn't have guessed that we'd have so much fun with this title for advanced players, whose potential we only really understand by playing it. Merv is a nice surprise, as delightful as it is elegant!” (The Quebec Sun)

“A real ❤️❤️❤️ blow” (Gamespaypay)

“A very nice discovery.”(Hellodismoitout)

“The whole thing is super well balanced, it makes you want to come back to it and ultimately, the more you play it the more you appreciate it.” (debo.games)

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