
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,166
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Braccio da Montone
- 2 players
- 120–300 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2012

2009
Rules assistance for Guelphs and Ghibellines
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Guelphs and Ghibellines is a board game released in 2009 for 2 players and 120–480 minutes per game. It was designed by Piergennaro Federico and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
(from Europa Simulazioni website:) Guelphs and Ghibellines simulates the traditional clashes between 13th century armies with an original system which is both simple and accurate, allowing to reproduce typical tactics of the battle of the era, and focusing on progressive combat fatigue and loss of cohesion of formations on the battlefield. Cavalry remains the Queen of the battlefield, but the Italian communal infantry (the best in its period) manages to have a sound impact on the outcome of the fight. The Battles : Montaperti 1260: The Arbia colored in red Benevento 1266: The twilight of the Hohenstaufen Campaldino 1289: The Saturday of St. Barnaba All the main protagonists of the battles and all the different types of troops are considered, included cavalry with various level of armour protection, infantry, archers, crossbowmen, palvesari, the Comunal Carroccio, etc. Components: Two 22"x34" maps of the battlefields 160 LARGE 5/8" die-cut counters 120 1/2" die-cut counters Standard rules and Instruction for the 3 historical battles, 3 alternative set-ups, 1 "fast-and-furious" scenarios Charts, tables Boxed
Guelphs and Ghibellines 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 Guelphs and Ghibellines is 120–480 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.
Guelphs and Ghibellines has a complexity rating of 2.6 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.
Guelphs and Ghibellines belongs to these categories: Wargame and Medieval. 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 Guelphs and Ghibellines are: Piergennaro Federico. 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 Guelphs and Ghibellines 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.