Description
The Halls of Montezuma, designed by Kevin Bertram and Gilberto Lopez, tasks one or two players (or teams of players) to recreate this vital but overlooked part of American history. As the "American" player, you are the Polk Administration - working with Congress to pass treaties and your legislative agenda while prosecuting the war against Mexico. As the "Mexican" player, you control all of the forces opposing the Polk Administration - not only the Mexican government and Mexican army, but also the Whig Party, the nascent American anti-war movement, fierce Apache and Comanche warriors, and even Mother Nature in the form of bad weather and devastating diseases.
The game uses the two 27-card separate event decks system featured in The Shores of Tripoli but adds two separate 9-card political decks. The American Political deck features treaties - such as the Oregon Treaty with Great Britain and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo - and legislation - such as the Ten Regiments Bill and the Wilmot Proviso. The Mexican Political deck features different Presidents - each with their own specific governing benefit - such as Mariano Paredes and Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.
The game also has a 6-card deck with the end of Turn events such as receiving reinforcements or the 1846 American midterm elections and a 30-card "El Robot" deck for solitaire play.
