Cyclades - Legendary Edition
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You're about to buy a fleet when someone raises the bid. Now you don't have enough for the Minotaur and your opponent is building their second metropolis. The gods are watching you. Choose wisely.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Divine war in the Greek archipelago
Cyclades Legendary Edition is the definitive remake of the 2009 classic by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc, illustrated by Miguel Coimbra. Set in the Cycladic islands during the height of Greek civilization, the game places players in the role of warring city-states vying for dominance of the archipelago, under the capricious gaze of the Olympian gods.
Each turn you bid for the favor of one of the available gods: each grants you different actions (build fleets, recruit troops, erect buildings, summon legendary creatures). The auction is on an exponential scale: whoever truly wants that deity pays dearly. Those outbid must decide whether to raise the bid or settle for a lesser god. The winner is the one who controls three metropolises, by building them or conquering them by force.
What they say abroad
"The new bidding system is sharper, the modular board makes every game fresh, and the six gods open up strategies the original couldn't touch."
The new bidding system is sharper, the modular board makes every game fresh, and the six gods open up strategies the original couldn't touch.
— Meeple Mountain
This Legendary Edition is not just a re-edition: it's a profound restructuring of the gameplay flow. Auctions now last half as long and bite twice as hard, the sixth god (Dionysus) overturns certainties, and the modular board means that every game forces you to rethink the geography of the conflict from scratch.
— FroGames
Cyclades Legendary Edition
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and game sessionsThe instruments of dominance
What you bring to the table
Fleets and armies
Ships transport troops and block routes. Armies occupy islands and defend metropolises. Fight with one die per unit: every 4+ is a hit. Whoever loses everything retreats.
Metropolis buildings
Four different buildings on an island form a metropolis. Each gives a bonus (more gold, more troops, defense, victory points). Building them costs divine actions and gold.
Legendary creatures
Minotaur, Pegasus, Cyclops, Kraken, Chimera: each grants a unique power (move troops by sea, strike first in battle, destroy fleets). They are summoned with the favor of the gods.
Divine favor
Each god grants specific actions: Poseidon moves fleets and recruits, Ares builds armies and attacks, Athena erects buildings, Zeus summons creatures. Dionysus (the sixth god) mixes everything up.
Recommended sleeves 67 cards in 2 sizes ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting your cards with transparent sleeves to make them last longer.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 44 × 68 mm | 40 |
| 65 × 100 mm | 27 |
| Total cards | 67 |
🧤 BUSTINE
Video a scopo dimostrativo, per mostrare il gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each round
Each turn has two phases: the auction for the gods and divine actions. The highest bidder commands, the loser waits.
New creatures available for that turn are revealed. This changes which gods become appealing (Zeus becomes much stronger if the Kraken is on offer).
In turn, each player bids gold to gain a god's favor. Exponential scale: each raise costs much more. The outbid player chooses: pay more or switch to a lesser god.
Starting with the player who has Ares, each player performs their god's actions: moves fleets, builds structures, summons creatures, recruits armies, fights. Those who passed on the auction do nothing.
It is checked who controls three metropolises (built or conquered). If no one has won, gold is collected from controlled islands and a new round begins.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Board Setup
Assemble the territory tiles, everyone places their first troops on their islands. Look at the map: who is near whom, which straits to control, where fleets will be needed. You're already thinking about which god to choose in the first turn.
First auctions, first bluffs
The first player bids for a god. Someone immediately raises. A third passes. The first bidder now has to decide: hold or switch to another god? Gold is limited, every coin spent now means less later. Whoever messes up the auction starts behind.
Expansion and clashes
Fleets move, armies land, the first buildings are constructed. Someone summons a creature and uses it to steal a key island. Those who lost divine favor watch helplessly as others act. Tension rises.
The contested metropolis
A player completes their first metropolis. The others have two turns to stop them or build their own. Everything is focused on Ares for a desperate invasion. Dice roll. An entire fleet disappears. The game is still open.
Victory for three metropolises
Someone reaches three metropolises, or conquers them with a final assault. The game stops. The others count how close they were. They look back at the map: that single wrong bid on turn three that changed everything.
🐸To know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
To know beforehand
Three things you need to know
Whoever misses the auction loses the turn
If you are outbid on all gods and end up without favor, you do nothing that round. Others build, conquer, summon creatures. You watch. This can cost you the game: an empty turn at the wrong moment is lethal.
Dice decide battles
Every clash is resolved by rolling one die per unit (4+ hits). You can have twice the troops and still lose due to a series of 1s and 2s. Creatures mitigate this, but luck exists and bites hard.
With six players, times get longer
More players mean longer auctions and slower turns. With six people at the table, you wait a long time between your turns. The game scales well mechanically, but downtime increases.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The player who controls three metropolises wins. Build them, conquer them, or mix the two.
Victory
- You control three metropolises simultaneously (four different buildings on an island = one metropolis)
- You conquer other metropolises by force (armies occupy the island, the metropolis becomes yours)
- You build one metropolis and conquer two (the mixed strategy is often the fastest)
Defeat
- You run out of gold and islands that produce it: you can no longer bid for the gods
- You lose all your metropolises in an invasion and cannot rebuild them in time
- You botch key auctions and fall behind while others race to victory
Cyclades Legendary Edition is strategy applied with grit: you need to know when to pay, when to bluff, when to attack. And when the dice betray everyone, even the best plans.
💬Frequently Asked QuestionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Cyclades Legendary Edition
What mechanics does Cyclades Legendary Edition use?
Exponential scale auctions (constrained bidding), territory control (area majority/influence), unit movement (area movement), dice combat (dice rolling), set collection (four different buildings to form a metropolis), variable turn order (who takes which god), modular setup (board assembled with tiles). The heart of the game is the auction: the highest bidder decides what to do that turn.
How different is it from the original Cyclades from 2009?
Completely revised auction system (exponential instead of linear scale, so faster and more tense). Sixth god added (Dionysus, with mixed actions). Board is now modular (assembled with tiles, each game is geographically different). New creatures and heroes. Improved two-player and team modes. It's the same game at heart, but more streamlined and varied.
Does it work well with two players?
Yes, the Legendary Edition includes a redesigned two-player mode. Auctions work differently (fewer blind raises, more tactical choices), and the map is tighter. It's not the same experience as 4-5 players (it loses some of the chaos of multiple auctions), but it's solid and tense.
How much does luck count in combat?
Dice can overturn battles that seemed won. Each unit rolls a die: 4+ hits. With even numbers, it's almost 50-50. Legendary creatures mitigate this (some strike first, others give bonuses), but a series of unlucky rolls can cost you a metropolis. If this frustrates you, Cyclades is not for you.
Is the edition for sale in Italian?
Yes, this MS Edizioni edition is entirely in Italian: rulebook, cards, components. Everything localized.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Cyclades Legendary Edition is a competitive strategy game for 2-6 players, 60-90 minutes long, ages 13+. Designed by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc, published by MS Edizioni in Italian, it uses mechanics of exponential scale auctions, territory control, and tactical combat set in mythological Greece. The auction system for gaining the favor of the gods creates constant tension: the highest bidder commands that turn, while those who fail remain idle. The modular board and the six Olympian gods (including Dionysus, new to this edition) increase strategic variety compared to the original from 2009. The player who controls three metropolises wins, either by building them or conquering them with fleets and armies. Legendary creatures (Minotaur, Kraken, Pegasus) shift the balance on the battlefield. Available on FroGames.it with immediate shipping.
Cyclades - Legendary Edition
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
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📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
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