Seeds of Empire - The Wars of South & Central India 1730s - 1750s, Expansion

From Red Sash Games:

NOT A COMPLETE GAME. Requires "Dreams of Empire" to Play.

Seeds of Empire is the second in a series of operational war games covering conflict in India during the 18th Century, using Red Sash Games’ LaceWars™ rules. SOE extends the environment of Dreams of Empire to include the whole of Central India (the Deccan) and extends the timeline into the 1750s to cover the Second Carnatic War.

The expansion includes several new Powers, divides the Marathas into Clans, and adds Factions for the two — not one, but two — major succession crises simultaneously taking place in the Deccan and Carnatic. This is the period when John Company, the British East India Company, finally got involved in the geopolitics of the Subcontinent. It was the highwater mark of the French presence, and a watershed for the Maratha Confederacy, while for the Mughal Empire it was a period of steep decline.

Seeds of Empire offers eight unique scenarios:

The Second Carnatic War: this scenario uses only the original map set (most of the action took place in a very confined area). Featuring the return of Chanda Sahib and Governor Dupleix, with Bussy-Castelneau, Clive of India, Stringer Lawrence (Father of the Indian Army), and above all, Mohammad Ali Khan.

"Early Start": An ‘early start’ variant of the same scenario in which Chanda Sahib has the opportunity to slay Anwar ud-Din (or vice versa). Historically the death of Anwar kicked off the Second Carnatic War.

"Capture of Devikotta": An even earlier start that allows the players to simulate the EIC‘s capture of Devikotta from Tanjore under the guise of restoring the Raja.

"French in the Deccan": A ‘French in the Deccan’ scenario using only the new maps, focusing on the war for control of the Viceroyalty of the Deccan and the activities of the various Maratha clans.

"Deccan + Dreams of Empire": A 1740s Deccan sandbox scenario matching the timeline of the original DOE Campaign Game, showing what the Marathas were getting up to.

"Full Territory": A Campaign Game for the Second Carnatic War that combines the maps.

"Both Carnatic Wars": A Campaign Game for the 1740s combining the original DOE Campaign with the 1740s Deccan scenario. This scenario can be extended to create a Grand Campaign covering the period of both Carnatic Wars.

"Malabar War": A small scenario set in Malabar, showcasing the continued expansion of Travancore against Cochin and its allies.

Like Dreams of Empire, Seeds of Empire assigns the various Powers to the players as and when they Activate. However, the Second Carnatic War also creates semi- permanent Alliances, with the French on one side and the British on the other, though only acting as 'auxiliaries’ to the great Indian lords.

To help the players cope with the material, the original rules, scenarios, charts, and (some) displays have been duplicated, with the new material from Seeds of Empire inserted into the relevant places. The expansion also includes errata and small fixes to the game system.

Number of Players:

1-2 during normal play;

4-6 depending on special scenarios

Scenarios: 2 Campaign and 6 Regular scenarios

Time to Play: 4-6 hours

Age: 14 and up

Components:

6 full color maps

Around 720 game pieces on four sheets

1 Rulebook

1 Scenario Book

21 Charts and Player Aid Cards

1 Historical Commentary 

© 2026 Red Sash Games.

Published by Blue Panther LLC under license.