Dune: Imperium - Rise of Ix expansion adds three new houses and six playable leaders
How Ix-citing!
The Rise of Ix expansion will introduce three new houses and several playable leaders to the Dune: Imperium deckbuilding game.
Inspired by the Ixian Technocracy who rule on Ix - the ninth planet in the Alkalurops star system based within the setting of Frank Herbert’s series of sci-fi novels - Rise of Ix is an upcoming expansion that will provide players with a collection of new houses to control and leaders to become, as well as a selection of fresh imperium, intrigue and conflict cards to use throughout the game.
Of the six additional leaders included in the expansion, two have been revealed - those being Archduke Armand Ecaz of House Ecaz and Prince Rhombur Vernius of House Vernius. Whilst Archduke Ecaz can use their Coordination ability to trash cards from their deck - as long as they have the right number of agents on the right board spaces - and gain less expensive cards via their Conscript skill, Prince Vernius has access to some powerful Heavy Lasgun Cannons that make their dreadnought’s even more formidable.
Dreadnoughts are a new mechanic that will be introduced in Rise of Ix, enabling players to utilise powerful war machines against their opponents in order to win conflicts on the game board. Not only are dreadnoughts indestructible, but they can also temporarily take control of various locations on Arrakis. Another fresh element found in Rise of Ix are the Ixian Technology tiles, which unlike normal cards, are not shuffled into a player’s deck when purchased, but are instead placed in front of the player as a permanent upgrade.
Dune: Imperium is a worker-placement board game that sees one to four players competing with one another to acquire power, wealth and control across the planet of Arrakis. Based on the upcoming movie adaptation of Dune - directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and Oscar Isaac - Dune: Imperium has players becoming a leader of one of the Great Houses of Arrakis and beyond.
Throughout the game, players must use their cards and meeples in order to secure a victory through military might or political power. In their review of Dune: Imperium, George Barker noted how the “deckbuilding side of things is a bit limited” in the game, but manages to combine the main elements of “worker-placement and deckbuilding in a way that just works.”
Dune: Imperium and the Rise of Ix expansion were both created by Paul Dennen, the designer behind Clank! and its sci-fi themed board game sequel Clank! In! Space! With Dire Wolf, the studio responsible for the aforementioned Clank! series, being the publisher of both the original Dune: Imperium and its new expansion.
Rise of Ix is set to be released sometime before the end of this year.