The tension and hostility between Zeus and Hera plays itself out on the
panoramic field of Greek Mythology, especially in the lives of those half-mortals who sprang from Zeus' loins.
In deference to deific propriety the King and Queen of Olympus
would seldom attack each other directly, but would manipulate people and events in order to foil each other's plans.
In Hera and Zeus, the two-player dueling-card contest
from Rio Grande Games, you and a friend assume the roles of these powerful immortals. Each has taken a hostage (Zeus has Argus
and Hera has Io) that the other favors and both would move Heaven and Earth to get them back.
The pantheon - major and minor - is yours to command, though some
Olympians have chosen sides: Apollo (Zeus), Artemis (Hera), Poseidon (Zeus), Dionysus, Hades, Persephone, Pandora and Nemesis
(Hera).
Powerful mortals will jump to join the fray: Heroes (Zeus), Amazons
(Hera) and the oracular Pythia.
Fabulous beasts will also serve you well, should you deploy them wisely:
Medusa, Pegasus and the Sirens will serve anyone; while the Giants, Cyclops and Centaurs will answer only to Zeus
and the Hydra, Harpy and Fury will only carry out Hera's will.
The core game is easy to learn and simple to play (basically the highest
number deployed wins the round, as in the card game War), but the special abilities of each card in relation to certain other
cards allows for infinite subtle variations in strategy and unexpected turnabouts in fortune. Don't fret! Useful summary cards
are provided as a handy reference until you've mastered these complexities. An example: you can use your Sirens
to seduce an opponent's allies into joining your side!
As in Poker, the cards on the table may hint at your hand or lull your opponent
into a false sense of security. And many of the finest gaming elements of CCGs were also woven into this superior game.
The cards are beautiful to behold and lots of care and attention went into
the packaging. Each player is even given a wooden piece painted in Zeus' or Hera's team color and embossed with the deity's
countenance (this too is used cleverly in play, sometime in conjunction with Pegasus, who can remove your deity from
the field).
I highly recommend Zeus and Hera as a stimulating
- and educational - way to spend a 40 or so minute stretch of time. And once played, the god-game is addictive. Mortals take
heed!
Review by Thor the Barbarian
