My First Play of March of the Ants: Minions of the Meadow
Read about my first impressions of the expansion content introduced in March of the Ants: Minions of the Meadow.
Many times, expansions either expand on existing content to add more variety or create entirely new ways to play. March of the Ants: Minions of the Meadow definitely falls into the second category! With the rules relatively solidified in my mind, I set out to return to the meadow with brand new strategies, ants, and enemies.
Game Overview
Game Name: March of the Ants
Publication Year: 2015
Designer: Tim Eisner and Ryan Swisher
Artist: Tim Eisner, Ryan Swisher, and Peter Wocken
Solo Mode: Expanded with Minions of the Meadow
Whereas the base game includes a fairly straightforward and simple solo mode, this large expansion introduces many new concepts to the ant colony.
I was excited to dive in! By nearly every account, this was the way to fully enjoy the solo mode. To the meadow!
First Play
March 4, 2020
Complexity
3
Latest Play
March 27, 2022
Expansions
2
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
25
Play Time
40 Minutes
High Score
26
Game Area
34" x 24"
Low Score
4
Helpful Little Aphids
Tiny aphids represent one of the new elements of the expansion. Can you spot the little green component here? It’s definitely on the small side, but not too small.
It isn’t just about attaching an aphid to an ant, though. Its location matters, since it ties into breeding and additional bonuses during the harvest step.
Immediately, I had a lot more to consider with this starting hex. It wasn’t all about the ants anymore!
At the same time, the aphids aren’t over-complicated. They create new opportunities with minimal overhead.
More Rules vs. Unnecessary Rules
Expansions that introduce new concepts sometimes straddle the line between adding meaningful content with new rules and unnecessarily complex ideas. I have a lot of respect for designers who can make new content work!
In this case, I had all sorts of new rules to learn. The base game rules provided a nice foundation, yet a lot of aspects changed completely. Having to learn so many new rules can put a wrench in the enjoyment of some games.
Although I spent some time learning the expansion rules, everything fell into place pretty nicely! I was quite impressed because I had the following new sets of rules to learn:
- Major Workers: These larger ants can possess special abilities based on the types of evolutions.
- Tactics Cards: This selection of cards may only be used during battle, but the benefits are quite varied.
- Aphids: These tiny helpers aid in the collection of extra harvest bonuses, and can slowly breed over time.
- Specialized Collection Sites: These areas may only be occupied when at least 2 matching evolutions are played.
- Predators: These variable enemies affect the meadow in different ways, and must be dealt with and defeated.
- Against the Broodmother: This solo mode features the horrible centipede broodmother and new mechanics.
Talk about a lot! However, I want to stress the point that this didn’t feel overwhelming. A bunch of player aids also put the most important details front and center. I still had to reference the rulebook a few times, but that’s pretty standard for the first few plays of any game. I could see so many new strategies, which was pretty awesome!
The Darkened Meadow
Sometimes, my first impressions feature minimal photos so I can concentrate on learning the rules. I was rather surprised when I was all done and only had a few photos!
This was the final arrangement of the meadow. I definitely explored more as I searched for the broodmother… In vain.
By the end, she remained hidden and her horrible centipedes took over the meadow. I put up a valiant effort at certain points, but this was a pretty lopsided loss.
I really enjoyed this play, though. If the base game was good, the expansion was amazing!
Session Overview
Play Number: 11
Expansion: March of the Ants: Minions of the Meadow
Solo Mode: Expanded with Minions of the Meadow
Play Details: Easy Expansion Difficulty Level
Required Play Space: 34″ x 24″
Setup Time: 5 Minutes
Play Time: 50 Minutes
Outcome: 18-34 (Loss)
The Cordyceps Fungus got the ants! This actually wasn’t the worst element, but it was far from easy. I’m in need of some more practice if my ants will ever rule the meadow!
%
20 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
9
Originality
Design & Theme
9
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
9
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
6
Victory Conditions
Defeat the Broodmother
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 expansion game at the easy difficulty level.
Win at least 1 game at the easy difficulty level.
Win at least 1 game at the hard difficulty level.
Win at least 1 game at the normal difficulty level.
Continue the Conversation
What are your thoughts about March of the Ants: Minions of the Meadow? Do you think it improves on the base game? Now that I’m getting the hang of the rules, I feel like I won’t ever return to the original solo mode. This one feels a lot more fleshed out, variable, and challenging. I just hope I can guide my little ants to victory one of these days!
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