- BGG rating
- 7.7
Hannibal & Hamilcar: Price of Failure
- 2 players
- 60–240 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,050
- BGG rating
- 8.2
Hannibal & Hamilcar
2018
Rules assistance for Hannibal & Hamilcar
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 40–200 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.9/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Hannibal & Hamilcar
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Hannibal & Hamilcar is a board game released in 2018 for 2 players, 40–200 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Mark Simonitch and Jaro Andruszkiewicz and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Point to Point Movement, and Area Majority / Influence.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Hannibal & Hamilcar: Sun of Macedon
- 2 players
- 60–240 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2018
Hannibal: Solo Mode
- 1 player
- 2025
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- BGG rank
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- BGG rank
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- 2014
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- 2004
- BGG rank
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- 8.4
Star Wars: Rebellion
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- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
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- BGG rating
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Pendragon: The Fall of Roman Britain
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About the game
Hannibal & Hamilcar: Rome vs Carthage is a 20th anniversary edition of Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage, an asymmetrical card-driven game for 2 players set in the time of the epic struggle between ancient Rome and Carthage. It presents a conflict between two superpowers of Antiquity from the classical Clausewitzian perspective, according to which a power only reverts to military operations when there is no other way to achieve political dominance. The 20th Anniversary Edition includes new scenarios and variants. The original rules and components were updated and certain game mechanics have been streamlined, while producing exactly the same game results as before. The original game has been further enriched by the addition of two new expansions: Sun of Macedon and Price of Failure. Hamilcar, set during the First Punic War, is a stand alone companion game sharing components and using similar mechanics but a different map. It introduces a naval system and naval battles. Both players compete for control of the Mediterranean Sea in a conflict that will be described as a war between an elephant and a whale - the struggle of a land-based empire versus the world’s naval power. Rome's goal was to break through the island chain of Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia - Carthage's defensive line to contain Rome on the Italian peninsula. In both games players use Strategy Cards for multiple purposes: moving generals, levying new troops, reinforcing existing armies, gaining political control of the provinces involved in the war, and introducing historical events. When two armies meet on the battlefield, a second set of cards, called Battle Cards, are used to determine the winner. Ultimately both players seek victory by dominating both fronts: military and political.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Ediciones MasQueOca
- ASYNCRON games
- Cranio Creations
- Feuerland Spiele
- PHALANX
- Fox in the Box
Questions and answers
Hannibal & Hamilcar 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 Hannibal & Hamilcar is 40–200 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 & Hamilcar 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 & Hamilcar has a complexity rating of 3.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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 & Hamilcar belongs to these categories: Wargame, Political, and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Point to Point Movement, and Area Majority / Influence. 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 & Hamilcar are: Mark Simonitch and Jaro Andruszkiewicz. 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 & Hamilcar 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.