- BGG rank
- BGG #14,907
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Kadesh: Mobile Warfare in the Ancient Middle East
- 2 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 1991
- BGG rank
- BGG #19,852
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Day of the Chariot: Kadesh
2008
Rules assistance for Day of the Chariot: Kadesh
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 240 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.0/5
Rules assistant for Day of the Chariot: Kadesh
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Day of the Chariot: Kadesh is a board game released in 2008 for 2 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Gene Dickens and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
Miniature armies - carefully painted and labeled with unit names, strengths, and abilities - have been found in Egyptian tombs, suggesting that "wargaming" goes back a long time. Of those miniature armies, no units take more precedence than the chariots - the "panzers" of their day. Keep in mind that horses of this period were too small to "ride" with a man on their back in a "cavalry" way. Only chariots offered a battle platform faster than sandals, and provided the "shock troops" of their day and a platform to designate the aristocracy and elite peoples. Alexander and the Roman legions might sneeze at chariot power... but not for another 900 years! Kadesh must be the chariot battle of all time. Sources conflict and disagree, but there may have been as many as 5000 chariots in this twisted, confused, and bloody battle, fought to determine the borders between Egypt and the Hittite confederacy... As an early example of "spin," Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II claimed a tremendous victory and the total vanquishing of the Hittite army... although he also signed a peace treaty that left the disputed city of Kadesh in the hands of the Hittites and never returned. Hmm. (A later and more formal treaty between Ramses and the next Hittite king is reproduced on the walls of the United Nations, as one of the first recorded international peace treaties. Ramses did not get Kadesh with that one either.) Now you can take the reins and lead your lines/lions into battle. Day of the Chariot: Kadesh offers a classic design by Gene Dickens fully updated into a tactical view of one of the most-discussed battles of middle eastern history, with 320 double-sided counters, 30 minute turns, and everything you need to play a system emphasizing command control and flexibility (or the lack thereof). Three distinct scenarios provide the battle that did happen (according to Ramses), the battle that both sides had "prearranged" to happen, and the smaller, more confused battle that historians think actually did happen. (You may be surprised how different the "same" battle can be!)
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- LPS, Inc.
- Against the Odds
Questions and answers
Day of the Chariot: Kadesh supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Day of the Chariot: Kadesh is 240 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 Day of the Chariot: Kadesh for ages 12 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.
Day of the Chariot: Kadesh has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Day of the Chariot: Kadesh belongs to these categories: Wargame and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling 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 Day of the Chariot: Kadesh are: Gene Dickens. 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 Day of the Chariot: Kadesh 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.