The Persians were one of four cultures released in Set 4 of Anachronism. There was also a dual-culture "Roman • Persian" card in Set 8.

Brief History

The "Fertile Crescent" that was known as Mesopotamia played host to a plethora of cultures, many of whom began civilations at the same time as the first pharaohs were ruling the lands of the Nile. As city-states grew in size and power, different cultures rose and fell in power, much like the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Mesopotamia was home to the Hittites, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Chaldeans, to name a few.

It was also the birthplace of the Persian Empire. According to legend, a ruler named Achaemenes was the first to conceive of a Persian state. It wasn't until Cyrus the Great, however, that Persia became a Mesopotamian power. Persia was the unrivalled leader of Mesopotamia until Darius III's defeat at the hand of Alexander the Great.

Eventually, Persian kings returned to rule regions of Mesopotamia and Asia Minor. A thorn in the side of The Romans, Persian rulers eventually fell before the advancing Islamic armies. In the years following, the Persian Empire faced invaders from all regions and religions. Persia in contemporary times is often associated with the Iranian region and people.

Persians in Anachronism

Set 4

Apranik warrior pack

• Apranik
  • Anahita
  • Akinaka
  • Tiara
  • Jang O Goriz

Cyrus the Great warrior pack

• Cyrus the Great
  • Mardukh
  • Kaman-e Helal-e Irani
  • Spara
  • Arabe Haye Darrande

Darius the Great mail-in warrior pack

• Darius the Great
  • Ahuramazda
  • Neyze-ye Darrande
  • Gerron
  • Amrtaka

Mithradates VI the Great warrior pack

• Mithradates VI the Great
  • Dionysus
  • Palta
  • Griwban
  • Mitray-i

Shapur I warrior pack

• Shapur I
  • Zartosht
  • Kontos
  • Kolah Khod-e Sasani
  • Rhyton

Set 8

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus warrior pack

• Third Mithradatic War

Promotional Cards

• Ostovany Khourosh
• Sagaris
• Xerxes I
• Shamshir

Status of Set 8

Currently, Anachronism and TriKing have entered a bit of a rough patch, financially. It has been the better part of a year since Set 7's release, and there is no timetable for Set 8. Michael Brown of TriKing has mentioned that plans are in place to relaunch Anachronism, with a stronger business model. What this "Anachronism 2.0" might signify for existing sets is unknown. The common perception is that Set 8 will not see the light of day -- at the very least, not in its current form.

Despite its status, Set 8 is being released pack-by-pack on the Anachronism forums. The game's lead developer, Steve McLaughlin (a.k.a. "Shteevie"), is the one releasing the card texts and sanctioning them for player use. In addition to the packs, he has so far spoiled a few promotional cards from the unprinted Set 8, including Shamshir.

Trivia

• Persia was an official country name until 1935, when it was changed to Iran.

Links

• Persian Empire on Wikipedia