Resources!

Balance of Powers consists of 3 primary “resources” that players will be competing for, or will want to have to gain victory points at the end of the game. These resources have different benefits through the game.

Oil is found in 11 countries in the game, each one chosen due to their oil reserves and current production capabilities. Oil is required for each military token that a player wants to have during the near future in the game.  Thus, expect players to compete for and defend their position in countries with oil during the first 5 turns of the game.

Critical minerals are found in each of the great powers and 4 additional countries at the beginning of the game. Once the distant future arrives however, 5 more countries will “discover” critical minerals. The countries with critical minerals at the beginning of the game were chosen because of existing mining operations in related resources. There is a high level of uncertainty in the future because of the ongoing R&D in battery and chip technologies, as well as unproven reserves around the world. Critical minerals support militaries in the distant future in addition to oil and provide additional victory points at the end of the game.

Finally, Critical geographies are found in countries that are geographically located at bottle necks or choke points in global logistics. These are found around narrow straits, canals, and arctic coasts where shipping, logistics and naval forces must pass through for access to broader waters. Leveraging critical geographies is required for developing trade agreements in regions that are not connected to a great power, and also provide additional victory points at the end of the game.