It’s not easy being the leader of a powerful conclave at war…especially when you haven’t recruited enough talent. Sheer military strength will never be enough! It’s time to enlist some of the most influential figures in the galaxy to fortify the cause. Can you pull enough members into your conclave to win the war? Let’s find out!

What Is It?

​Anthelion: Conclave of Power is an 18-card wallet game from Button Shy where you use character and planet abilities to push and pull potential allies to your conclave in order to earn stars (aka points) and win the game! You want to ensure you can get 10 stars in order to end and win the game, but don’t let your opponent get 10 on the same turn because if they are the active player – they’ll win!

Who Is It For?

I’d recommend this to gamers who like strategic/”thinky” games because this one can definitely cause a little AP. There’s a lot of planning to do and thinking what your best moves are given all the options, so it’s not for those who prefer lighter games. If you’re like me and typically play 2-player games and are always looking for more, then I’d also recommend it for sure. It’s also great for gamers on the go since it’s so small!

Quality of Components

I have a prototype copy of the game, so it’s not quite finalized for quality and layout, but as is, I like it so far! I think that the art is vibrant and really aesthetically appealing. The cards are plenty solid, so I’m sure they’ll  only be the same or better quality. The rules will likely be more compact than computer paper, which I have now, which will be nice for space’s sake. Can’t wait to see the final product!

PROS

  • Fun/appealing art
  • Clean cards – contain a bunch of info, but easy to read and understand because of a good layout
  • Nicely laid out rules with good, detailed examples
  • Complex and challenging because of the push and pull concept
  • Balances well – it’s a tug-of-war/constant struggle type game, but you never feel like there’s nothing you can do or you’ve completely lost, which is great
  • Always plenty of options!

CONS

  • Can cause AP because of all the options/powers to use, which can be frustrating
  • Plays slowly at first because you have to keep re-reading the abilities, but can pick up the more you learn it

Difficulty

I definitely think it’s challenging because of the strategic nature of it (and the potential AP it causes) so I’d probably give it a 4/5 for difficulty. But it works so well, which is important to keep in mind when picking out something that might be considered more difficult. You always feel like you have plenty to do, which helps alleviate the stress of strategic games.

Final Thoughts

I absolutely loved it. I never think to expect much from a simple game of just a few cards, but this definitely packs a punch. I know I mentioned it a few times, but that is because it brings out my AP … a lot. But I like that it challenges me. It takes a bit to first grasp the push and pull abilities, because you don’t want to help your opponent, so you want to try and think a few moves ahead, but sometimes it definitely is beneficial to push things toward them more because it might allow you to bring better cards toward yourself.

It brings a lot to the table, and I’m always happy to have more 2-player-only games that are as satisfying to play as this. Highly recommend! 

Happy Gaming~

Additional Information:
Publisher – Button Shy
Designer – Daniel Solis
Artist – Fabrice Weiss

*I was provided a prototype copy of this game to do this preview*
*All components shown are subject to change*

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