Here is a snapshot of the factions play in the board game.
Harkonnen - Powerful with treachery cards, has lots of traitors in his pay, losing a battle against him is extra painful, has to grub for spice in the desert, Feyd is a powerful leader but the rest are mediocre. A poweful and dangerous faction who starts the game strong.
Atreides - Prescience to see the coming spice blow, the next treachery card being bought, to see one element of a battle plan. Gets the Kwisatch Haderach which makes one leader per turn more powerful and immune to being a traitor. Has to grub for spice in the desert. Only gets the KH after taking a number of battlefield losses. Has some good leaders. A faction threatened by the Harkonnen at first, one has to play it carefully using the prescience and abilities for maximum effect.
Guild - Weak militarily, awesome capacity to move units around, including back off planer. Others pay the Guild to ship troops onto Dune (except Fremen) which makes the Guild rich. Weak leaders. Special victory condition that if no one else wins, they win as they want status quo. Ability to take their turn during game turn at any time, which means they usually go last and can react to attempts to win. Can suffer in a war of attrition. Capable of suprise victories and spoiling attacks.
Fremen - Powerful militarily, don't need ornithopters and transports as they move faster across Dune, great leaders, they come on from the deep south of Dune and don't pay the Guild for troops shipments. Dirt poor, have to grub for spice in the desert. Start weak in treachery but the only thing they have to spend spice on is treachery cards (these are like technology). They have a small number of Fedaykin troops which are more powerful. The Emperor does not get Sardaukar bonus against Fremen. Easily replenish losses. Special ability to move troops in a province anywhere on the board if a worm shows up. Half losses if they get caught not on rock when a storm passes. A straight forward military faction that starts weak and has to play for time by fighting battles with high troop losses that they can afford to replace.
Emperor - Powerful militarily, mainly due to decent leaders and the Sardaukar which count double against everyone except Fremen. Everyone pays spice to the Emperor for buying treachery cards which makes him rich. Starts with nothing on planet and has to pay to bring it down via the Guild. Can suffer in a war of attrition. A straight forward and powerful faction that chooses the time to come on planet and strike.
Bene Gesserit - Consistently awesome leaders, start with tiny presence onplanet and have to ship troops down. Special ability to ship spiritual advisors down with other player troop shipments. Special ability to co-exist without war in the same province as another player. Special power of the Voice which can force a player to play or not play a treachery card in battle. Can suffer in a war of attrition. They have a special victory condition that if they predict the turn and player who wins by writing it down beforehand, they win instead. The hardest and sneakiest faction to play. Winning by guessing the winner and manipulating that to happen is the sweetest victory in this excellent board game.
Some of these concepts could be adapted to Civ, I reckon.
Cheers,
Sword
