Quick answer
Monumental Duel: Espionage adds a spy layer to the base game's city-building and deckbuilding, introducing Aksum, Greece, and Aztec civilizations with covert operations that let you sabotage opponents while advancing your own civilization.
How Espionage changes the core gameplay
The base game of Monumental Duel focuses on building your city through the ages, from antiquity to modern times, using a deckbuilding engine to acquire resources and construct your civilization. Espionage doesn't replace that loop—it adds a parallel shadow economy. You now form and deploy spies to sow chaos in your opponent's city, gaining wealth and resources as they stumble. This means you're not just racing to build the most brilliant civilization; you're also actively disrupting your rival's progress.
The trade-off is complexity. If you enjoy the pure, head-to-head optimization of the base game, the spy mechanics introduce randomness and direct conflict that can feel like a distraction. But if you want more player interaction and a way to punish opponents who get too far ahead, Espionage delivers exactly that.
New civilizations and their impact
Espionage includes three civilizations: Aksum, Greece, and Aztec. Each brings its own flavor of subterfuge. Aksum might emphasize trade and intelligence, Greece could lean into political manipulation, and the Aztec civilization may focus on resource theft. Because each civilization can be played with any other box, you can mix and match to create custom combinations that suit your preferred playstyle.
The downside: if you already own the base game and are happy with its civilizations, the new ones here are the main draw. You're essentially paying for three new factions plus the spy mechanism. For players who rarely switch factions, the value may be lower.
Monumental Duel: Espionage vs Base Game – Trade-offs
- Base game only: Pure city-building and deckbuilding race with no direct sabotage. Best for players who want a clean, optimization-focused duel.
- Base game + Espionage: Adds spy deployment, resource theft, and chaos mechanics. You gain three new civilizations (Aksum, Greece, Aztec) and a new way to interact with opponents. If you enjoy disrupting opponents and want more variety, this expansion adds meaningful depth.
- Compatibility note: Each civilization in Espionage can be played with any other box, so you can mix and match with your base game factions. You don't need to own multiple expansions to get value from this one.
Product facts
-
Monumental Duel: Espionage: Build your city in a fast and intense game. Through the ages, from antiquity to modern times, create the most brilliant of civilizations. Espionage Box: Aksum, Greece, Aztec - Act in the shadows, forming and deploying your spies to sow chaos in your opponent's city. This means you get a complete set of three new civilizations and a new spy subsystem that adds direct player conflict without abandoning the core deckbuilding and city-building loop.
Monumental Duel: Espionage
Which one fits you?
Best for
- Players who want more direct player interaction and sabotage options
- Fans of asymmetric civilizations who enjoy trying new factions (Aksum, Greece, Aztec)
- Those who already own the base game and want to expand without buying a full new box
Not for
- Players who prefer a pure, non-confrontational optimization race
- Anyone who doesn't want added complexity or randomness from spy mechanics
