Pax Pamir: Second Edition (2019)

How to Play Pax Pamir: Second Edition

In terms of gameplay, Pax Pamir is a pretty straightforward tableau builder. Players spend most of their turns purchasing cards from a central market, then playing those cards in front of them in a single row called a court. Playing cards adds units to the game’s map and grants access to additional actions that can be taken to disrupt other players and influence the course of the game. That last point is worth emphasizing. Though everyone is building their own row of cards, the game offers many ways for players to interfere with each other directly and indirectly.

To survive, players will organize into coalitions. Throughout the game, the dominance of the different coalitions will be evaluated by the players when a special card, called a “Dominance Check”, is resolved. If a single coalition has a commanding lead during one of these checks, those players loyal to that coalition will receive victory points based on their influence in their coalition. However, if Afghanistan remains fragmented during one of these checks, players instead will receive victory points based on their personal power base.

After each Dominance Check, victory is checked and the game will be partially reset, offering players a fresh attempt to realize their ambitions. The game ends when a single player is able to achieve a lead of four or more victory points or after the fourth and final Dominance Check is resolved.

Pax Pamir: Second Edition Review

“Pax Pamir (2nd Ed) – henceforth Pax – is quite simply my favourite board game. It is an absolutely sublime piece of design by Cole Wehrle, building on his collaboration with Phil Eklund from the first edition. He has produced a game that combines area control, tableau building and player politicking in a rich, evocative historical setting.

It is superficially simple – small hand, a small number of actions and yet highly complex, as the gorgeously illustrated cards provide a wide range of choices and combinations which make for a rich and satisfying gameplay experience. I cannot think of a game that I would rather spend an hour or two playing with board gaming friends.”

John Hunt, board-game.co.uk

“Bear with me. As the players, you are not the British, you are not the Russians. You are local leaders, attempting to manipulate forces that are bigger than yourself. If you make good investments, if you ally yourself with the right powers, if you move with great savvy — you still can lose. To paraphrase something I hear in Doctor Who, you might win, but nobody wins for very long.

You can do everything right, and still lose the game, because power and hierarchy are shifting sands. The feeling of a good game of Pax Pamir is thrilling, but it is also a reminder and a warning about history. War is not a game, and the people who thought it was created horror in the lives of their “pieces.” It’s a commentary that you can’t help but participate in by playing.”

Thomas Wells, meeplemountain.com

The content of this article is originally from Board Game Geek. For more information and a better understanding of the game, you can watch the videos below.