2017Wray Ferrell, Brad Johnson (I)
- Videos
- 33
- Creators
- 26
2 - 4 players120 - 180 minHeavy weight

2023Wray Ferrell, Brad Johnson (I)
Mostly reviews and unboxings. The Barracks Emperors is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 5 reviews, 2 how-to-play guides, 1 recorded sessions, 5 unboxings, and 1 other video.
From BoardGameGeek
The Barracks Emperors is a strategy card game set against the backdrop of the Roman Crisis of the Third Century, during which at least 45 different men made a claim to the throne of the Roman Empire. In this game, 1-4 players represent prominent political factions attempting to gain control over the men who would be Emperors of Rome. Players deploy the influence available to them (represented by the cards in their hands) to claim imperial reigns (represented by the historical Emperor cards arrayed on the board.) But they must be very careful, because politics is a complex game, and sometimes attempting to exert your influence necessitates aiding someone else in their own plots. Play your cards cleverly to capture Emperors and score the most points to win. At its heart, The Barracks Emperors is a trick-taking game, but not one like you've ever seen before. In this innovative design, all 13 tricks are available for play simultaneously, in an interlocking grid that forces you to balance the value of every card you play against the value that same card may have for another player on a different trick. Plus, every card grants you an additional special ability that you might be able to use to spring a surprise on your unwitting opponents. Features: Historical emperors, co-emperors, pretenders, and even Gallic Emperors who broke away from Rome during the Crisis of the Third Century are all represented as individual cards in the game, each with interesting facts about the rise and demise of the man depicted. For fans of Time of Crisis: The Roman Empire in Turmoil, 235-284 AD and Time of Crisis: The Age of Iron and Rust, you will find some of the concepts and flavor from that deck-building wargame, adapted in this all new standalone game. You don't need Time of Crisis to play The Barracks Emperors, but you'll recognize Influence Cards such as Praetorian Guard, Foederati, and Pretender, now used in an entirely new way. An innovative card drafting mechanic adds an extra layer of strategy to how you play your cards while also mitigating the luck that would come with being dealt a full hand of cards at the start of each round. This game is designed for 4 players, but also includes options for 2 or 3 players, plus an easy-to-play solitaire adaptation for the solo player.
The Barracks Emperors has 14 videos from 12 creators: 5 reviews, 2 how-to-play guides, 1 playthrough, 5 unboxings and 1 other video. They date from 2023 to September 2024.
To learn the rules, start with "The Barracks Emperor - Solo Play Example" by Hexed And Countered, which runs 39 min. For a quicker teach, "The Barracks Emperors // En bon québécois" runs 16 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "The Barracks Emperors Review" by MarcoOmnigamer. 4 creators have reviewed it. To see it played, watch "The Barracks Emperors - 4p Teaching, Play-through, & Roundtable Discussion by Heavy Cardboard" by Heavy Cardboard.
If you like it, try Time of Crisis: The Roman Empire in Turmoil, 235-284 AD and Sword of Rome: Conquest of Italy, 362-272 BC, also by Wray Ferrell, or 3 Chapters and Yokai Septet, which share several of its mechanics.
8 of 12
2017Wray Ferrell, Brad Johnson (I)
2 - 4 players120 - 180 minHeavy weight
2004Wray Ferrell
2 - 5 players360 minHeavy weight
2018Muneyuki Yokouchi (横内宗幸)
2 - 4 players30 - 45 minLight weight
From BoardGameGeek:
The Barracks Emperors is a strategy card game set against the backdrop of the Roman Crisis of the Third Century, during which at least 45 different men made a claim to the throne of the Roman Empire. In this game, 1-4 players represent prominent political factions attempting to gain control over the men who would be Emperors of Rome. Players deploy the influence available to them (represented by the cards in their hands) to claim imperial reigns (represented by the historical Emperor cards arrayed on the board.) But they must be very careful, because politics is a complex game, and sometimes attempting to exert your influence necessitates aiding someone else in their own plots. Play your cards cleverly to capture Emperors and score the most points to win. At its heart, The Barracks Emperors is a trick-taking game, but not one like you've ever seen before. In this innovative design, all 13 tricks are available for play simultaneously, in an interlocking grid that forces you to balance the value of every card you play against the value that same card may have for another player on a different trick. Plus, every card grants you an additional special ability that you might be able to use to spring a surprise on your unwitting opponents. Features: Historical emperors, co-emperors, pretenders, and even Gallic Emperors who broke away from Rome during the Crisis of the Third Century are all represented as individual cards in the game, each with interesting facts about the rise and demise of the man depicted. For fans of Time of Crisis: The Roman Empire in Turmoil, 235-284 AD and Time of Crisis: The Age of Iron and Rust, you will find some of the concepts and flavor from that deck-building wargame, adapted in this all new standalone game. You don't need Time of Crisis to play The Barracks Emperors, but you'll recognize Influence Cards such as Praetorian Guard, Foederati, and Pretender, now used in an entirely new way. An innovative card drafting mechanic adds an extra layer of strategy to how you play your cards while also mitigating the luck that would come with being dealt a full hand of cards at the start of each round. This game is designed for 4 players, but also includes options for 2 or 3 players, plus an easy-to-play solitaire adaptation for the solo player.
Designers
Wray Ferrell, Brad Johnson (I)
Artists
Blackwell Hird, Mark Simonitch, Matthew Wallhead
Publisher
GMT Games
Mechanics