
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,345
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Legends of the Three Kingdoms
- 2–10 players
- 40 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2007

2018
Rules assistance for Carthage
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Carthage is a board game released in 2018 for 1–5 players, 30–75 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Luke Seinen and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Take That.
Enter the theater of Carthage where only one Gladiator will survive. Take heed for every move could be your last! Carthage is a deck-building board game in which players move around a hex-based arena and face off in gladiatorial warfare to earn crowd favor, gain armor, and battle to the death. This game uses blended mechanisms of deck-building, hand management, and a whole lot of ruthless "take-that" combat. A round begins with the combat phase where players play action cards, after which they spend crowd favor points to build better combat options, lobby the crowd for advantages, or assemble their starting deck into a more lethal combination of tactics. Carthage utilizes deck-building and miniatures to give players a progressive game experience...ending in a vicious crescendo of blood and glory! Gladiators start in the theater as weak combatants, but as their actions gain crowd favor, they can develop their tactics (deck) into a lethal combination of damage, armor, and movement on the hex-based arena. Featuring a unique modular ruleset which allows players to alter the game complexity, play time, and strategic depth!
Carthage supports 1–5 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 Carthage is 30–75 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.
The catalogue lists Carthage for ages 13 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Carthage has a complexity rating of 2.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Carthage belongs to these categories: Fighting, Miniatures, and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Take That. 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 Carthage are: Luke Seinen. 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 Carthage 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.