Mare Nostrum Atlas Expansion Board Game

Mare Nostrum: Atlas expansion is a hit/miss modular expansion to the base game.On the Plus Side, Atlas adds:1) Atlantis as a new Civilization led by....Atlas...of course! More Mythological theme!2) MORE mythical creatures and heroes! My favorite part of the game!3) A solid 2-player variant. Nice.4) Lots of neat components of excellent quality!On the Meh Side, Atlas adds:1) Themed decks of heroes/buildings/creatures based on what legendary cities you choose to play with. Adds LOTS of variability, but only for the hardcore player(s) IMO.2) Goals and Reward Cards. Based on the theme you are using (see above), you can attempt to accomplish goals (which do NOT add to ending the game) to get special abilities. Again, interesting, but not required and seem a bit to fiddly for me. Hardcore players might feel differently.On the Weak Side, Atlas adds:1) Rules for a 6th player! Uh, no. Just no.If you're a hardcore player of Mare Nostrum, and feel the base game has gotten stale, then this is a mandatory purchase! If you want more mythological theme in the game, then this expansion is a must have. However, if you're happy with the base game then just stick with the PROMO PACKS to add a little spice to the base game at a reasonable price, and wait for a good price drop/sale to pick this up.

Some missed opportunities in this one, such as more Provinces on new board, better conceived heroes in the Legendary Cities expansion, and integrating Barbarians into general game play for all versions. Still, it's a must-have for Mare Nostrum fans. Addition of rules for 2-, 3-, and 4-player games, plus Barbarians, most welcomed.