Terraforming Mars Hellas & Elysium

The item shipped almost immediately and made it from the west coast to the midwest in a couple of days. I didn't order a tube or bag, but the shipping container was right for the item and didn't uneccessarily fold it or bend it in transit. It's larger than I expected, but that's just the dimensions of the item. Unfortunately, the high quality of the mat now necessitates upgrading the rest of my game...

Beautiful maps! Vibrant colors and a fantastic playing surface. I was delightfully surprised when I discovered that each map included scoring and tracking areas for each expansion except for Turmoil. It all fits perfectly and elevates this games table presence tremendously.

A fitting first or second expansion for Terraforming Mars enthusiasts

These new maps are a fun change-up from the original board. They offer new scoring goals as well which add small wrinkles to gameplay. For the Terraforming Mars player who is looking for some added replayability after many plays of the base game, I recommend this as a good first or second expansion (Prelude is also worth adding).

Hellas & Elysium: More Planet, More Variety

T.M. has become one of my favorite games very quickly, and this expansion provides two new game boards on a double-sided folding map. Quality of art and board stock is the same as the original game. The packaging is, sadly, outright bad. A thin sheet of gloss paper is all that stands between your new map and scuffs. I assume the idea was to place the folding map into the original game box, but board-specific rules are on the H&E paper, which could very easily tear or crease if mishandled. A strange choice when an album jacket would have solved everything for a small uptick in manufacturing cost.H&E both contain less plants and blank hexes, more steel and titanium. Hellas also has heat resource hexes. Elysium (like the base board) concentrates plants near the ... MoreT.M. has become one of my favorite games very quickly, and this expansion provides two new game boards on a double-sided folding map. Quality of art and board stock is the same as the original game. The packaging is, sadly, outright bad. A thin sheet of gloss paper is all that stands between your new map and scuffs. I assume the idea was to place the folding map into the original game box, but board-specific rules are on the H&E paper, which could very easily tear or crease if mishandled. A strange choice when an album jacket would have solved everything for a small uptick in manufacturing cost.H&E both contain less plants and blank hexes, more steel and titanium. Hellas also has heat resource hexes. Elysium (like the base board) concentrates plants near the equator, and Hellas on the north edge. Each has 12 ocean hexes, as with the base. Layout for Elysium is in a large swath with a two-hex nearby, which will make placement for credit bonuses more competitive. Hellas has a 7-space "hex of hexes", a 1-hex, and a 4-hex, and seems accessible and resource-friendly.Each board has its own milestones and awards as well, all of which differ from the base game. Although strategies will vary from game to game, Hellas has a milestone called "Polar Explorer" that is for having three tiles on the bottom two rows; coupled with that is a south pole hex that costs 6 mega credits to play a tile to, but in exchange gives a free ocean placement. That combo begs to make a greenery tile on the south pole your first play; for 29 credits you: get two TR, 3 heat or 2 titanium from the ocean placement bonus, set the pace, and are a third of the way to a 5-vp milestone. Also, the 3-heat hex is dead center of the 7-hex ocean area, meaning your opponents aren't even going to get placement bonuses out of it without playing their own aquifers.Some of my quibbles with H&E are:The expansion absolutely should have had extra projects and corporations.It could have introduced more depth via rule updates or additions, such as new resources.Missed opportunity for 6-7 player expansion and larger playfield.A double-sided board makes me annoyed the original was one-sided.Despite those and the packaging, H&E is still a great way to diversify T.M. sessions and add replay value. It's inexpensive, it does its job, and unlike Etsy knockoffs, it supports FryxGames. I recommend it for anyone currently enjoying Terraforming Mars!

Hellas & Elysium: Terraforming Mars Exp

It's literally just a board. But it is two-sided.A bit overpriced if I'm honest but good quality nonetheless.Gives you two different maps to play the game on, with new tactics required. It doesn't really change the basic gameplay but adds another dimension to the Terraforming Mars experience.

Hellas & Elysium: Terraforming Mars Exp

This is a nice expansion that gives two other sides of mars to play on. It also brings different scoring objectives and goals. It is a great addition to your collection if you have, like me, played terraforming mars 100s of times already. A bit on the pricey side but still worth it for die hard fans of TM.

Hellas & Elysium: Terraforming Mars Exp

I was hesitated to order just a board without a box due to protection concerns. However, it turned out great. There is only a slight deformation at the corners of the board. Board was in great shape general. I was happy with my order. Nice packaging for oversea shipment.

Morerer Mars

Adds a lot to the base game without any overhead. You could easily have a new TfM player start with these maps without any issues. And after 5 or so years placing oceans in the same spot, this definitely breaths new life into the game.Fits very easily in the base box with the Prelude expansion as well.

Solid Add-On

Great little expansion to a fantastic boardgame. It only adds the new boards, but they offer a lot of diversity to play. Using a milestone/award randomizer (easily found online) further improves gameplay diversity.

Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium Expansion | Stronghold Games

Probably the best expansion, tied with Preludes. Easy to use, as it's "just" new maps that don't add more gameplay mechanics, but this adds a lot of diversity! Having new tile placement bonuses and a different layout makes it almost feel like a new game, even in solo, and the new milestones and awards change the focus and strategies in multipayer. Buy this if you have been playing Terraforming Mars for a while and are looking to add more diversity to your games!