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Sparta
2011
Rules assistance for Sparta
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with saved question history.
Rules assistant for Sparta
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Sparta is a board game released in 2011 for 2 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Yannick Holtkamp and its main mechanics are Grid Movement.
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About the game
In the strategic game Sparta, set in 228 B.C., you will relive the fascinating experience of skillful Spartan and Achaean warriors. Will Sparta seize power, or will the Achaeans maintain their stance? The game is played on a 10x10 grid. Each player starts with a row of eight fighters on their side of the board. In the middle rows of the board, there are eight cities; each player owns four of these. Each turn, a player may move one of their fighters up to two squares in any direction, changing direction between the moves if so desired. If the fighter ends its turn in one of his own cities, he is promoted to a hero, and may move up to three squares on future turns. If the fighter ends its turn on an opposing city, the city is conquered; it now belongs to the player that conquered it. If, after the move, there are pieces trapped in between two opposing pieces, they are captured and removed from the board. Pieces are trapped if they are between pieces of the other side along a horizontal, vertical or diagonal row without a vacant square in between. The game ends if one of the following happens: One player owns all cities. That player wins the game. One player has only one piece left on the board. His opponent wins the game. Both players have only one or two pieces left on the board. The player with the most cities wins the game.
Editions
- SpartaenQueen Games2011
- SpartaenQueen Games2011
- SpartadeQueen Games2011
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Queen Games
Questions and answers
Sparta 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 Sparta is 30 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 Sparta 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.
Sparta has a complexity rating of 1.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Sparta belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Grid Movement. 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 Sparta are: Yannick Holtkamp. 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 Sparta 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.