
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,385
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Strike of the Eagle
- 2–4 players
- 60–240 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2011

2007
Rules assistance for Hannibal Barkas
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.
Hannibal Barkas is a board game released in 2007 for 2–5 players, 180 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Robert Żak and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Campaign / Battle Card Driven.
Players participate in the Second Punic War as either Carthage or Rome. Mechanics are based on a card driven system. Hannibal Barkas contains military, political and economic elements that emulate ruling an ancient nation. Official release date of the game in Poland is October 2007. Initially, the game will be available only in a Polish version. Game mechanic is card driven - each card can be played in four ways: .as Talents of gold .as Initiative Points (those are needed for army activation, politics and other actions) .as Global events .as interrupt effects played at any time. The game was designed as a dynamic, decision-dependent, exciting strategy. Main features: - Great playability - Simplicity of rules, and yet with many strategic options - Variety of cards that can be played in different ways Aside from commanding armies, there are other aspects of the game that shouldn't be neglected. Minor nations such as Syracusae, Macedonia, Massilia or Numidia can become allies, and strengthen Rome or Carthage with additional cards, gold and armies. Another important aspect of the game is economy. Gold is needed for recruitment of new armies, keeping existing ones in play, diplomacy, and taking opportunities that cards present. Box contents: - rulebook - board - 280 cards (events, cities and leaders) for 6 nations. Each nation has its own deck. - 400 tokens - 5 dice
Hannibal Barkas supports 2–5 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 Hannibal Barkas is 180 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 Hannibal Barkas 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.
Hannibal Barkas has a complexity rating of 3.1 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.
Hannibal Barkas belongs to these categories: Economic, Wargame, and Political. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Campaign / Battle Card Driven. 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 Hannibal Barkas are: Robert Żak. 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 Hannibal Barkas 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.