
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,887
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Ancients
- 2 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 1986

1994
Rules assistance for Ancients
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ancients is a board game released in 1994 for 1–2 players and 30 minutes per game. It was designed by William L. Banks and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
Ancients incorporates everything which was in the earlier games Ancients I and Ancients II (which is why, for instance, there are two scenario booklets). Ancients is a game of tactical combat in the age before gunpowder. The game contains 64 historical scenarios. Also included are guidelines to match different historical armies against one another, or to build a larger campaign game.
Ancients supports 1–2 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Ancients is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
Ancients has a complexity rating of 1.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Ancients belongs to these categories: Wargame, Medieval, and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Ancients are: William L. Banks. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Ancients as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.