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Carthago: Merchants & Guilds
- 2–4 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2017
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- BGG #15,589
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Haithabu
2015
Rules assistance for Haithabu
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Haithabu
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Haithabu is a board game released in 2015 for 2–4 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Andreas Molter and Wolfgang Heidenheim and its main mechanics are Trading, Pick-up and Deliver, and Worker Placement.
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About the game
Haithabu is named after an important trading settlement located at the southern end of the Jutland Peninsula (on what's today the border of Denmark and Germany) that the Vikings used from the 8th to the 11th centuries. Its location on the Baltic and North Seas and on the trade routes between Scandinavia and the Frankish Empire led to goods from around the known world — such as the Baltics, Baghdad, and Constantinople — being traded here. The subject of constant wars and changes of power, as well as the progressive Christianization of those in the north, Haithabu — known as "Hedeby" in English — had a rich history that ended in 1050 when the Norwegian king sacked and burned the town in a conflict with Denmark. As Vikings, players trade with all the known world while also living through the changes and dark days at the end of the Early Middle Ages. In the game, players take turns performing individual actions on an action rondel, and what's most critical in the game is the timing of the actions because in each round each color of action can be selected only once. Players must react to market price changes and event dice that can cause complications.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Spielworxx
Questions and answers
Haithabu supports 2–4 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 Haithabu is 90 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 Haithabu 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.
Haithabu has a complexity rating of 3.5 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.
Haithabu belongs to these categories: Economic. Its main mechanics are Trading, Pick-up and Deliver, and Worker Placement. 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 Haithabu are: Andreas Molter and Wolfgang Heidenheim. 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 Haithabu 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.