
- BGG rank
- BGG #147
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Hansa Teutonica
- 2–5 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2009

2007
Rules assistance for Power & Weakness
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.
Power & Weakness is a board game released in 2007 for 2 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Andreas Steding and its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence.
England in the 5th century; Saxons against Celts! The players try to gain control over England. Knights and magicians in their service are sent to the provinces to conquer their opponents. But the methods of magicians and knights are very different. The knights turn to their swords and must slog overland from province to province. Meanwhile, the magicians can make use of the secret magical places and appear by surprise in an area that the knights believe is already secured for their own side. And so the struggle surges to and fro until one side attains power. What is unique in ‘Power & Weakness’, is that two games are played at once; one game for magical control and one game for military control. Each player must decide whether to concentrate on the military or the magical field - or to try to be equally good in both - in order to attain power and gloat over the weakness of the opponent. Power and Weakness is played in ‘cycles’. There is a Sword cycle and a Magic cycle. Each cycle has slightly different rules. The length of a cycle varies. During a cycle the players take turns alternately – until the end of the cycle when one of the players will receive a victory point. At the end of a cycle you check whether one of the players has won. If neither player has won, the next cycle begins.
Power & Weakness 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 Power & Weakness is 45 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 Power & Weakness 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.
Power & Weakness 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.
Power & Weakness belongs to these categories: Fantasy and Medieval. Its main mechanics are 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 Power & Weakness are: Andreas Steding. 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 Power & Weakness 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.