![\"Das](\"https:\/\/www.westpark-gamers.de\/Ressourcen\/mammuts_t.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Publisher<\/b>: Eurogames\/Jeux Descartes<\/p>\n
Author<\/b>: Bruno Faidutti<\/p>\n
Tester<\/b>: Aaron Haag<\/p>\n
Game Tested<\/b>: 1st release 2001<\/p>\n
Scenario<\/b>: Will your tribe be the first to vanquish its enemies? Can it
\nprosper, multiply and seize vast territory? Are you ready to battle rival tribes and
\nconfront ferocious beasts? To hunt, fish, forage and farm in order to provide the
\nnecessary food for the survival of your tribe? Then welcome to the Valley of the
\nMammoth\u2026 and good luck!<\/i> This quote from the English rules nicely describes
\nwhat this game is all about: controlling a tribe of humans in prehistoric times with the
\naim to not only avoid starvation (difficult!) but also extend your control of the map
\nboard by setting up camps.<\/p>\n
The Game<\/b>: Ten years after the first release of this game (“La Vall\u00e9e des The games is set up on a board with 37 hex spaces depicting three types of regions The game is played in turns consisting of up to 10 phases each. The actions in a phase The phases of a turn are:<\/p>\n Playing Time<\/b>: The game can be explained in 15 minutes and played in about 60 Similar Games<\/b>: La Vall\u00e9e des Mammouths<\/a>, Vinci<\/a>, Westpark Gamer’s Opinion<\/b>: In many respects this a typical Faidutti game Because some of the fate cards can have quite a big effect on the game (e.g. We found it quite hard to keep one’s tribe strong enough as the food supply is There is certainly room for a number of different strategies: from “empire There is an optional rule about the usage of fire which I strongly recommend you use. There seems to be a second edition of the rules that state that the game is to be One word about the German Eurogames edition: although the quality of the game There is also a tiny flaw with a small number of games of the Eurogames edition: the Aaron’s Rating<\/b>: 7 (out of 10)<\/p>\n Westpark Gamers’ Rating<\/b>: 7.67<\/p>\n
\nMammouths”, 1991, Ludod\u00e9lire) the German version became available at Spiel 2001 in
\nEssen. An English release (“Valley of the Mammoths”<\/a>, 2001, Eurogames Descartes USA) is
\nalso planned and should be available by the time you read this. Compared with the French
\nversion there have been some slight modifications to make the games more balanced and in
\nsome respects easier to play (e.g. animals all have the same strength now).<\/p>\n
\n(plains, forests, mountains). As a nice touch the board comes in two pieces and is
\nprinted on both sides using different regional setups – so there are a total of 4
\ndifferent maps to play on. Each of the two to six players controls a tribe of 10 warriors
\nand 6 females of which at the start of the game 5 warriors and 2 females are placed in a
\ncamp on the board . The players then receive 5 fate cards each. Fate cards provide a
\ntribe with one-time abilities or options and may be used when the appropriate turn is
\nplayed. The player’s task is to set up a total of four camps on the board and keep
\nthem for one complete round. The first player achieving this goal wins the game.<\/p>\n
\nvary depending on the current season of the year: each game year is divided in a three
\nturn summer season followed by a three turn winter season.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nDepending on the season a summer or winter event is drawn from the appropriate event card
\npile. Most of the events have a negative effect on all tribes on the board, some
\naffecting only a particular region or have a lasting effect for a whole season. For play
\nbalance events are not drawn in the first two turns of the game.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\n
\nNew animals arrive on the map by randomly drawing them from a sack. Their numbers vary
\ndepending on the season (and the number of players) with less animals arriving during the
\nwinter turns. Each animal drawn has a defined starting location at the border of the map.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\n
\nThe roll of a die determines the direction in which all animals move across the board.
\nDepending on the type of the animal (wolf, tiger, bear, bison, rhino or mammoth) they
\nmove a different number of hex spaces and are able to traverse different regions.
\nWhenever an animal moves into a hex occupied by humans its movement stops.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\n
\nStarting with the strongest tribe on the board (number of camp then number of tribe
\nmembers are considered) players may move there tribe tokens one or two hex spaces on the
\nmap. If any enemy tokens (animals or enemy tribes) are in the same hex a token may only
\nbe moved if the enemy is outnumbered because a player must leave at least as many tokens
\nin such a hex as there are enemies present. Instead of moving a player may set up a new
\ncamp if there are at least one warrior and one female and no enemy tokens in a hex space.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\n
\nCombat takes place in hexes occupied by different tribes or by tribes and animals.
\nCombats are resolved by die rolling with a modifier for each warrior, animal or camp.
\nCombats between tribes are resolved first and finish when there are only warriors of one
\ntribe left in the hex concerned. Females finding themselves in a hex with enemy warriors
\nand no warriors of their own tribe are replaced with a female token of the
\n“capturing” tribe. Camps may be captured in a similar way. After all tribe
\ncombats have been resolved combat with animals takes place. Killed animals provide food
\npoints which can be used in the next phase.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\n
\nIn this phase the tribe first collects food points when occupying hex spaces in forests
\n(gathering) or near water (fishing) or for harvesting any previously cultivated plain
\nhexes with camps. Then they consume food points. Each tribe member requires one food
\npoint to survive the turn. If insufficient food points are available the player must
\nremove any surplus tribe members from the map.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\n
\nAt the end of each season (not at the end of each turn) up to two females per camp give
\nbirth to new tribe members. The gender of the new member is determined by a die roll with
\na small chance (roll of a 6) that twins are being born. New-borns are immediately
\nconsidered adults.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\n
\nIn the last turn of winter tribes may cultivate any plain hexes with camps at the cost of
\none food point.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\n
\nPlayers with less than 5 fate cards may drawn one new card from the fate card pile. Fate
\ncards usually provide an advantage to a tribe by either strengthening the own tribe or
\nharming enemy tribes.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\n
\nThe season marker is now moved one space clockwise. If a player controls four camps that
\nplayer must notify the other players about this condition. If the same player still
\ncontrols four camps at the end of the next turn that player wins the game.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\nminutes to 3 hours depending on the number of players and the type of players (fighters
\nvs. builders).<\/p>\n
\n Ursuppe<\/a><\/p>\n
\nwith a strong strategical component plus some equally strong chaotic elements added (the
\nfate and event cards). Players who like this kind of mixture will definitely like this
\ngame. The potential for clever strategies is quite high and as long as one does not mind
\ntoo much to be hit by some ill fate or event at the worst possible time this game
\nprovides a lot of fun.<\/p>\n
\n“Kindbettfieber” i.e. childbed fever or “Steinschlag” i.e. falling
\nrocks) ![\"Tal](\"https:\/\/www.westpark-gamers.de\/Ressourcen\/mammuts.jpg\")
it may be a good idea to quickly go through them
\n before the very first game.![\"Freund\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.westpark-gamers.de\/Ressourcen\/mammut2.jpg\")
This is also recommended for those
\n (non-Europeans?) who may have problems with the cards’ wonderful cartoonish
\n graphics (e.g. “Freund”, i.e. “friend”) or theme (e.g.
\n “Homopower”). Actually, the German “Homopower” card (which
\n allows a player to establish a camp without the necessity to have members of
\n different gender present) translates to “Domestic Partners” in the English
\n version. So its more in line with Lemmon\/Matthau’s “The Odd Couple”
\n and rest assured: in the game females are still required to keep the camp for longer
\n than just one turn or to propagate ;). And there is a sufficient number of cards in
\n the deck so you can take out which ever you find inappropriate for whatever
\n reason.<\/p>\n
\nvery sparse. Some bad events during the winter season actually can reduce a tribe to a
\nmere couple. Combat between tribes therefore is not a common event and usually only
\nhappens once one tribe has become so strong that some of its members will not survive
\nanyway. In this case its better to loose warriors in combat rather than due to
\nstarvation.<\/p>\n
\nbuilding” and avoiding combat with other tribes as much as possible but instead
\nconcentrating on setting up camps and collecting food to agressively “attacking
\neverything that moves” with the aim to take over as many enemy females and camps as
\npossible. I still have to see the empire building strategy to really work (I lost twice
\ntrying to do this being unable to defend the 4 camps I set up). Also keep in mind that
\nthe game tends to take considerably longer if all players are of the empire building
\nkind. I personnally believe that the game is much more fun when played agressively.<\/p>\n
\nIt makes the game only a little more complex but adds an advantage to combat with animals
\nwhich in my opinion is necessary to generate sufficient food. On the other hand this is
\ncounterbalanced by the fact that now 1.5 food points are consumed per tribe member per
\nturn. Another variant also dealing with food availability is called Health
\nFood<\/a> and is described on Bruno Faidutti’s web pages.<\/p>\n
\nplayed with three to six players instead of the two to six mentioned in my 1st release
\nrules book. The game can be played with 2 players without any problems, however, due to
\nthe fact that there is a lot more room for expansion, fights will occur less often than
\nwith more players, which may suit those “empire builders”.<\/p>\n
\ncomponents is quite high I must say that this game again is a typical Eurogames title. I
\nwished that they would get the rules right with the first release of a game. The German
\nrule book has some serious translation errors regarding the camp set-up, fire-taking and
\nfood gathering. The correct rules are that camps may be set up and fire may be taken as
\nlong as there are no enemies<\/b> in the same hex and fishing provides only one<\/b>
\nfood point if a hex is located at a river and a lake. Luckily, Bruno Faidutti provides an
\nerrata
\npage<\/a> on his web site.<\/p>\n
\ncrop markers are printed incorrectly showing only one ear of grain on both sides. This
\ncan easily be corrected by marking one side with a bold 2 (or by writing to Eurogames who
\nwill send you a correct set of tokens). One small additional hint here while you are
\nmarking the crop tokens: we also marked the animal tokens with their movement points,
\nmovement ability through terrain and their food points. This speeds up the game a little
\nas you do not have to look up these values in the rules every time you need them.
\nAlternatively, you may want to print out Pierre-Nicolas Lapointe’s very nicely done
\nhelp card<\/a>.<\/p>\n