(Photo credit to Kemet)
Ancient Egypt. It is the time of the gods; Anubis, Bast, and Sobek to name three. In Kemet: Blood and Sand, you are one of the gods in a battle with other gods to see who earns the most favor from the people. You challenge the other Gods with your armies and recruit ancient creatures to your cause. The stakes are high; only one will be revered as the others fade into glory and oblivion.
Kemet: Blood and Sand is a new edition of the original Kemet; with only a few rules changes. The main changes are aesthetic. The enlarged 4 sided dice pyramids are replaced with miniatures that are stackable, the player boards have been redone, as well as the art. The big bonus is that the game now comes with the onyx power tiles whereas the original only had the diamond, sapphire, and ruby tiles.
It is these power tiles that make Kemet rise above the others in its genre of area control games. The combinations of powers available to players are amazing and allow the game to be fresh every time. The game includes player aids for each player showing all of the tiles, in addition to all of the divine intervention cards. One complaint about the original was there was only one copy of the tile and card glossary, now there is one for each player.
To start, set the board up based on the number of players shown in the rulebook. Next, give each player a player board for their chosen deity, the matching Amy (12 units) prayer point marker, 5 action tokens, power tile activation tokens, and 3 pyramid miniatures. Each player chooses a city and places 5 units in two districts as well as pyramids equal to 3 levels. For example, a player can choose 3 level 1 pyramids or one level 2 and one level 1. Note that no starting pyramid can go above level 2. Next, randomly determine the player order, and place their order token on the order track. Shuffle the divine intervention cards and deal each player one copy of the Diversion divine intervention card, in addition to drawing two more. Randomly determine the power tiles you will use for the game based on player count. Place any creatures on top of the power tiles matching them and in reverse turn order, allow each player to select a level 1 tile. Give each player their deck of 8 combat cards based on their color and set the two bonus cards aside. Make piles of the permanent and the temporary fame point (FP) tokens. Each player places their prayer point (PP) marker at 7.
The object of Kemet is to be the first player to achieve 9 victory points. Once a player meets that threshold the game ends and they are the winner. Kemet is played in two phases; the day phase and the night phase.
The day phase is where players take turns in player order by choosing an action from their player board and places an action token on an action. Action choices are earned prayer points, move troops, purchase a power tile, recruit troops or build a pyramid. A prayer action awards 2 prayer points. A pyramid action allows players to advance a pyramid one level. a power tile action allows a player to purchase a tile equal to the level of a pyramid they control.
A move action is made up of 1 land or harbor move and one teleportation move. For 2 PP a player can move from a pyramid to an obelisk. There are 2 types of ports; military and commerce. A player can move from a trading harbor to any other trading harbor or the military harbor next to their city. They can also move from their military harbor to any other trading harbor or back to the military harbor next to their city. Players have to spend one movement point to enter an opponent’s city walls.
A recruit action lets players spend X PP to recruit X units and place them in a district of their home city.
Whenever a player moves units into an area with an opponent’s units, combat immediately begins. Each player first draws two combat cards and chooses one to discard and one to play. A player can add any divine intervention cards they want that can be used during combat. Each player simultaneously reveals their combat card and the divine intervention cards they played. They then calculate their strengths; adding up the total strength from their units, cards, and tiles. The highest strength wins. Next, each side determines the number of casualties they deal by comparing the blockable and unblockable damage and defense indicated on their cards. Each player removes one unit for each damage received. If the player who won the combat has one unit remaining, they earn a permanent combat FP. The loser then chooses to retreat any remaining units to an adjacent zone or recall their units returning them to their supply. All combat cards discarded cannot be used again until each player has none left to draw. They then shuffle their cards and draw two, choosing one to use and one to discard.
After each player takes their 5 actions, the night phase begins. First whoever controls the Temple of all gods, can sacrifice two units to earn 1 FP, and whoever controls the Delta Temple can sacrifice a unit for 5 PP. Players gain 2 PP plus any additional points they earn from any temples they control. In addition, if a player controls 2 temples, they earn a permanent FP. Each player draws two divine intervention cards and earns any FP or bonuses from tiles earned during the night phase. Also, each player resets their player board by removing their used action tokens.
The game continues with another round until a player has earned the 9 victory points.
The original Kemet had fantastic reviews when it arrived and the new version has earned many as well. The original Kemet has been hailed by many as one of the best area control games you can have.
Kemet requires a lot of strategy and planning. In order to purchase powerful tiles, players must advance their pyramids. This may limit their troops’ movement and ability to control temples, which earn FP every round. Pyramid FP can be lost so guarding them is a necessity. A player who loses a pyramid they control can be severely crippled from winning because they no longer have access to purchase that type of power tile.
Each player must use their 12 units effectively in their strategy. Winning battles earns permanent Fame points but spreads too thin and you may find yourself losing more than winning and find all your troops scattered in the desert.
Matagot delivers a solid game with wonderful components; no cardboard here. Some other games provide cardboard standees in the base game requiring additional purchases if you want upgraded components. Matagot gives you all your soldiers, pyramids, and creatures in plastic in addition to some of the best mechanics found in an area control game.
As with all new versions of games, the question arises, do you need it? If you are content with your components, and already have the onyx tiles, then probably not. The original Kemet is solid, minus the addition of the ports in Blood and Sand, it is the same game. Now players who don’t have either? The new one is a great choice. Having the extra set of power tiles that you would otherwise need to get separate, is a benefit right there. The stackable pyramids look really nice instead of the enlarged 4-sided dice in addition to the other upgraded components.
If you are a fan of Ancient Egypt and want a well-designed game with beautiful components, you should definitely consider Kemet: Blood and Sand.
Written by Ed Carter
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