Lords of Conquest

Origins and Historical Context

Originally launched in 1986, Lords of Conquest appeared on systems like the Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari ST, and MS-DOS, reflecting Electronic Arts’ growing interest in computer-based strategy games. It adapted the 1982 board game Borderlands created by Eon Productions.

The game’s marketing line — “Better than Risk!” — positioned it as a digital successor to the classic board game Risk, emphasizing competitive territorial conquest and alliances. This statement highlights the publisher’s intent to bridge tabletop traditions with the new potential of personal computing.

Preparation

The game is a contest between two to seven players, of which any number may be human or computer players. Each player is given a specific color, which matches their territories. Computer players can be selected to be Aggressive, Defensive or Passive in their style of play. The human player(s) then must select how random the odds of an attack are, the amount of resources in the game, and the amount of land vs. water. Additionally, the Victory Conditions are also chosen; of which is the building of three to eight cities.

Territories are then selected one at a time amongst the players, until all are selects or a remainder is left that is at least one less than the number of players, which are left black.

Phases

After territory selection, the game then moves to Production, where all the resources per player are tallied and "put" into the stockpile. There is a 1 in 4 chance for the Production phase to be skipped at any turn. If it is the first turn, players then place their stockpiles in a territory. Next comes Trade, where players may trade any resources they have for resources they wish. All five resources may be traded, but note that horses must have a territory to "land on" to be accepted. The next phase is Shipment, where the stockpile may be moved. Alternatively, a horse, weapon, or boat may be moved. Note that you may ship a weapon with a horse, or a weapon and horse with a boat! There is a 1 in 4 chance for the Shipment phase to be skipped at any turn. The fifth phase is Conquest, where you may take up to two attacks on any valid territory. The final phase is Development, where you may buy cities, weapons, or boats.

Resources and Units

After the final territory is selected, the players place stockpiles on the map. The stockpile may be moved once a turn if there is a transport phase, or instead of attacking another player. The stockpile holds all of a player's resources, and if the territory it is located in is taken those resources are forfeited to the attacking player.

There are five kinds of resources: coal, gold, iron, timber and horses. Control of each territory with a resource at the beginning of the turn yields one into the stockpile. At the end of the turn boats, cities or weapons may be purchased.

During combat, the offensive and defensive odds are computed by taking the sum of all territories that touch the territory in question. Therefore, if a territory is touched by only one other territory of the same color and three of the offensive player, the odds are 3-2 in favor. However, other factors can change the odds, including:

Boats - During an attack, boats may carry one horse and one weapon and raise the attack odds by 2. For defensive purposes, each boat raises the territory defense by 2. A boat costs 3 wood (or 3 Gold) to build, and there may be multiple boats in a territory, one per piece of coastline the territory possesses.

Cities - Cities are the key to the game. Besides quantifying victory, cities DOUBLE the production of all resources in the territory they are built OR are touching, with the exception of Horses. Cities add 2 to both offense and defensive odds. A city costs a Coal, a Gold, an Iron, & a Tree (OR 4 Gold) to build, and there may be only one city per territory.

Horses - Horses are unique among the resources as they are not a stockpiled good, but rather expand on the map. A horse is produced in the territory that has the herd icon, or in an adjoining territory. A horse adds 1 to both offense and defensive odds, and there may be only one horse per territory.

 Weapons - Weapons are bought like Boats or Cities. A weapon adds 3 to the offense or defense of a territory. A weapon costs a Coal and an Iron (or 2 Gold) to build, and there may be only one weapon per territory.

Conquest and Victory

Each player may attack twice in any one round. If a player chooses to move his stockpile on the first attack, he loses the second. Likewise if the first attack fails, the second is also lost.

Additionally, other players may choose to side with the offense or the defense and throw in their combat odds to that side. Logically, this can only happen if the player in question has a territory bordering the attacked territory.

The game is over when one side builds the number of cities listed as the victory condition, or when all territories have been taken over by a single player. Note that if more than one player exceeds the number of cities required for victory, the game continues until one side falls under than number.

Legacy and Influence on Modern Strategy Games

While Lords of Conquest never spawned direct sequels, its design principles echo in today’s gaming landscape. Its emphasis on territorial control, phased turns, and resource allocation foreshadowed the mechanics of 4X games (“explore, expand, exploit, exterminate”).

• Manor Lords, a modern city-building and real-time strategy game, reflects similar attention to resource chains and territorial dominance.
   
• The Total War franchise combines map-based strategy and empire management, concepts rooted in titles like Lords of Conquest.
   

In this way, the game stands as a missing link in the evolution of strategy games, bridging analog and digital formats.

The Enduring Place of Lords of Conquest in Gaming History

Although it doesn’t receive much attention in modern discussions, the game holds an important place as an early milestone in digital strategy design. It merged board game mechanics with early computer interfaces, laying groundwork for decades of strategic design.

For retro computing enthusiasts, it remains both a nostalgic artifact and a fascinating example of how early designers adapted traditional gaming frameworks to the digital screen.

FAQ: Lords of Conquest

When was Lords of Conquest released?
Electronic Arts published the title in 1986, making it available on a range of platforms including the Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari computers, and IBM-compatible PCs.

What is the objective of the game?
Players must build or conquer a set number of cities and maintain control to achieve victory.

How many players can participate?
Between two and seven players can play, with both human and computer-controlled options.

What resources exist in the game?
The game includes gold, iron, coal, timber, and horses, all essential for constructing cities, ships, and weapons.

Is there a modern remake?
No direct remake exists, but its influence is visible in modern strategy titles like Manor Lords and Total War.