- BGG rating
- 8.2
Hoplite: The First Battle of Mantinea, 418 BC
- 2 players
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,630
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Hoplite: Warfare in the Greco-Persian Age 5th-4th Century BC
2014
Rules assistance for Hoplite: Warfare in the Greco-Persian Age 5th-4th Century BC
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 60–480 min
- 13+
- Complexity 3.4/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Hoplite: Warfare in the Greco-Persian Age 5th-4th Century BC
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Hoplite: Warfare in the Greco-Persian Age 5th-4th Century BC is a board game released in 2014 for 1–4 players, 60–480 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Richard H. Berg and Mark Herman and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Hoplite: The Great Battles of Sparta's Persian Expedition
- 2 players
- 120–180 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2015
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,362
- BGG rating
- 8.0
SPQR (Deluxe Edition)
- 1–4 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 2008
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,216
- BGG rating
- 7.7
The Great Battles of Alexander: Deluxe Edition
- 1–4 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 1995
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,603
- BGG rating
- 7.4
SPQR
- 2 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 1992
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,890
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Carthage: The First Punic War – The Ancient World, Vol. II
- 1–2 players
- 1800 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2005
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,523
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Cataphract
- 1–2 players
- 360 min
- Complexity 3.4/5
- 1999
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,907
- BGG rating
- 8.4
Death Valley: Battles for the Shenandoah
- 1–2 players
- 300–1200 min
- Complexity 4.3/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #919
- BGG rating
- 8.3
Empire of the Sun: The Pacific War 1941-1945
- 1–2 players
- 360 min
- Complexity 4.4/5
- 2005
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,715
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Pacific War: The Struggle Against Japan 1941-1945
- 1–2 players
- 60–6000 min
- Complexity 4.5/5
- 1985
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,008
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Men of Iron Battles Tri-Pack: Men of Iron, Infidel, Blood & Roses
- 1–2 players
- 60–180 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,023
- BGG rating
- 8.7
Pacific War: The Struggle Against Japan, 1941-1945 (Second Edition)
- 2 players
- 60–6000 min
- Complexity 4.6/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,595
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Blackbeard
- 1–4 players
- 120–240 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 1991
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,602
- BGG rating
- 6.7
War of the Ring
- 2–3 players
- 60–210 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 1977
About the game
Hoplite, the 15th volume in the Great Battles of History series of games, allows players to recreate classic battles from the pre-Alexandrian Persian-Hellenistic Age, the heyday of the Hoplite (heavy infantry fighting in packed formation). This period is often considered to feature the birth of Western Warfare, as opposed to the Persian/Eastern style, which relied on archery, light cavalry, and mobility. Exactly how hoplite warfare was fought – what really happened when “the bell rang” – is highly disputed by ancient military historians, even today. Hoplite allows you to test out your theories with eleven of the great battles of this era, from the Battle of Leuctra, featuring the huge 60-man deep phalanx of Beotarch Epaminondas to the classic confrontations with the Persian missile-armed troops against the classic Greek hoplite phalanxes. Hoplite uses detailed mechanics meant to convey all the possibilities of this style of warfare, from The Hellenic Law of Inertia, to Drift to the Right, to the special capabilities of the Persian Light Cavalry (Harassment and Dispersal) to three different levels of Hoplite advance to Combat. And you get to fight what was the biggest land battle in European history up until Napoleonic times, the immense Battle of Plataea. The package includes Simple GBoH versions for each of the battles along with special rules that highlight the hoplite style of warfare. Game scale: 100 yards per hex Battles: Cunaxa - Persians vs. Rebels, 401 BCE Delium - Athenians vs. Boeotians, 424 BCE Ephesus - Ionians and Allies vs Persians, 498 BCE Leuctra - Boeotian League vs Sparta and Allies, 371 BCE Mantinea - Arcadian and Boeotian Leagues vs Sparta and Lacedaemonian Allies, 362 BCE Marathon - Persia vs. Athens and Plataea, 490 BCE Mycale - Greeks vs Persians, 479 BCE Plataea - Greeks vs Persians, 479 BCE Nemea - Spartans and Allies vs Thebans and Allies, 394 BCE Coronea - Spartans and Allies vs Thebans and Allies, 394 BCE Tanagra- Athenians vs Spartans, 457 BCE
Designers
Publishers
- GMT Games
Questions and answers
Hoplite: Warfare in the Greco-Persian Age 5th-4th Century BC supports 1–4 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 Hoplite: Warfare in the Greco-Persian Age 5th-4th Century BC is 60–480 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.
The catalogue lists Hoplite: Warfare in the Greco-Persian Age 5th-4th Century BC for ages 13 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.
Hoplite: Warfare in the Greco-Persian Age 5th-4th Century BC has a complexity rating of 3.4 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.
Hoplite: Warfare in the Greco-Persian Age 5th-4th Century BC belongs to these categories: Wargame and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation. 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 Hoplite: Warfare in the Greco-Persian Age 5th-4th Century BC are: Richard H. Berg and Mark Herman. 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 Hoplite: Warfare in the Greco-Persian Age 5th-4th Century BC 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.