
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,933
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Boot Hill
- 2 players
- 90–180 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 1975

Rules assistance for Ramses II
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ramses II is an expansion for Alexander the Great released in 1983 for 2 players, 60–180 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Gary Gygax and Arnold T. Blumberg and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
Ramses II is a variant based on Avalon Hill's tactical battle game Alexander the Great. The mapboard, with a few modifications, and the game system are used in the variant. The vast majority of the rules for Alexander the Great are employed; those modified or not utilized are noted below. New game counters, which represent the Hittite and Egyptian forces, are provided on the insert of this issue. With these-mapboard, rules, counters-at hand, one can recreate the bloody Battle of Kadesh, fought over 3200 years ago. —description from the publisher
Ramses II 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 Ramses II is 60–180 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 Ramses II for ages 10 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.
Ramses II has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light 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.
Ramses II belongs to these categories: Wargame, Ancient, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid. 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 Ramses II are: Gary Gygax and Arnold T. Blumberg. 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 Ramses II as an expansion for Alexander the Great. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Alexander the Great to use it. Check that your edition of Alexander the Great is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.